Paint the Village My Color
by eaanderson7895
Summary: Sister fic to "It Takes a Village to Raise a Child" but I believe it can be read alone.
1. Chapter 1

Minato gasped at the suggestion that the village elders had so calmly placed in front of not only himself and his wife, but of all of the clan leaders in front of him. They had called a meeting together earlier that day, saying that attendance was vital to village security. They had started out by emphasizing the importance of the Leaf's military forces, and had built up the anticipation to a supposed strategy. Maybe he had heard incorrectly?

"I'm sorry, Lady Koharu, but am I not mistaken in the thought that you have asked us all to produce another child?"

She didn't flinch. "Yes, Minato, that is correct. In order to maintain the prowess the village has as the most powerful, we need a powerful weapon at our disposal. What better way to accomplish that than to combine the abilities of every clan into one?"

Fugaku cleared his throat. "Is that not accomplished when the village forms squads? Not only is it impossible for sixteen people to produce a single child, but the mere thought of it is blasphemy. Most of us are nearly finished with parenting, and are not keen on starting over again."

Hiashi nodded. "While I hate to agree with Uchiha, he is correct. At the moment, the clan heads are more focused on preparing our next of kin to assume the clan. We shouldn't be focused on chasing around a little one."

Hiruzen glared. "Non-compliance will result in your immediate arrest as a traitor, and rest assured, the rest of your clan will suffer as well."

Shikaku tried to bring the peace back. "With all due respect, Lord Hiruzen, they are correct. We are all well beyond the age of raising another child, and it seems more practical to form squads with multiple bloodline traits than to bring another child into this world."

Inoichi nodded. "Indeed. In addition, it will take time before the child is even of use in terms of training. What is the purpose of waiting twelve years for the child to graduate from the Academy, when we could form countless squads in mere moments?"

Danzo glared at all of the clan leaders. "Obviously, you're all more concerned with the surface of the issue. Imagine the possibility of a child, being able to use six, maybe seven or eight, bloodline limits at once. Then imagine a squad of eight, attempting to attack one enemy at the same time. In this day and age, minimalism is the best approach, and we must do more with less men. Surely you all comprehend that?"

The room grew quiet. Fugaku sighed and spoke. "While we comprehend that, and we understand the usefulness that such a shinobi would bring to the battlefield, there would be a significant loss in one blow should this child die. We cannot press all of our hopes on something so experimental, when we have many prudent options at the moment."

Danzo sneered evilly. "Well, why don't I give you some prudent options to help you make your decision wisely? You can either agree to this provision, or be forced to watch your clan suffer. We have prepared the ANBU to attack your clans should you refuse, and you can watch as they are slaughtered like pigs."

Minato glared at the elder. "You can't force the clans into agreeing to something as ludicrous as this! Furthermore, you can't control the ANBU without my written consent, of which I did not give."

"That may be, Lord Hokage, but we have an ANBU shadowing your son as we speak. How would you like to outlive him?"

Kushina stood. "You evil bastard! What the hell does he have to do with this?!"

Minato held her back, knowing that Danzo wouldn't hesitate to have an ANBU finish her off.

The room was absolutely silent, as the clan leaders and their spouses were caught in a stalemate with the village elders. Was there any way that the elders could do something like this? And why were they so ready and willing to annihilate their most powerful clans. They spoke of strengthening the village and gaining more military power, but wouldn't this child also be a weakness as well? Mikoto pondered these thoughts, imagining the consequences of having this child. Itachi would have less time preparing to inherit the clan, and would now have to cope with having a younger sibling running around. In addition, Sasuke was not necessarily the big brother type, so how would this affect him?

Lady Yamanaka was focusing on the more immediate consequences of non consent. What was to happen to her clansmen should she and her husband refuse- would they be stabbed? Burned to their deaths? Tortured perhaps? And what of her precious daughter...?

Ino was beautiful, strong, intelligent, and destined for greatness. She was going to inherit the Yamanaka clan, maybe even in a few years if her father deigned it appropriate! She was a heartbreaker, the girl that all of the young men in the village fantasized about, and she deserved to live a long life. Could she really refuse the ludicrous measure that the elders were proposing, especially if the cost was her daughter's life?

She glanced at her husband, who was clearly sharing her thoughts. More than even his wife, Inoichi loved Ino. Since the day she was born, he spoiled her rotten, and gave her everything he had. After his parents had passed, only a year before Ino was born, he felt so empty. Without the people who loved him most in this world, what was he to do? Granted, when he and his wife had conceived, it wasn't necessarily planned that they would have a child at all. But the second he held her in his arms, when the eyes that were so much like his mother's stared back at him, his heart was taken. He would give her the best he could. And maybe even more. There was no way he would endanger her life now.

He gave his wife a nod, and she stood. "What do we need to do should we consent?"

Yoshino turned to her. "You're not giving in this easily, are you?" Her only answer was silence, as Lady Yamanaka glanced at the table. "You idiot- you're playing right into their game! How could you-"

"I have no desire to outlive my daughter and watch my clan be killed off! If you have any sense within you, you'd be wise to follow my example." She turned to the table, biting back tears as the decision was wrenched from her.

Mikoto sent her a look of sympathy, and turned to see Kushina crying unashamed. What was she to do? This plan felt like some sort of manipulation. The council was so corrupt, and try as he might, even Minato couldn't rid of them. They had better control of the ANBU than he did, apparently, and there was no realistic way to fight them off, even for the Uchiha clan. Would this child that they were to create end up the same?

An ANBU was directly above her and her husband, the same with everyone else within the room. She knew that if she so much as thought about activating her Sharingan that the consequences would be disastrous. Refusing the elders would be futile, and the clans would all fade in one day.

Danzo smiled, seeing the defeat in their eyes. Perfect. His plan had worked out with no hassle- it was amazing what the threat of killing a child could do to a mother. The clans all signed their consent, and were dismissed.

* * *

When they got home, the first thing Kushina did was search frantically for Naruto.

"Naruto?! Naruto?! Where are you?! Naruto! NARUTO!" She ran about frantically, calling to her son, when she heard a door open and close, with barely audible footsteps following.

"What is it, Mom?" He yawned, and from the way his hair was messed up, it was obvious he'd been sleeping. As one of the most skilled, albeit goofy, ninja in the village, Naruto was frequently sent on missions, and as a result, he was exhausted most of the time that he was home.

Kushina embraced him. "I was just... Wondering where you were. I didn't remember you coming home from your last mission, so I got worried."

Naruto was put off by his mother and her odd behavior, but he returned the hug. "I just got back a few hours ago." He turned to his father, "How was the meeting?"

Minato sighed. "It was pretty long, and there were a lot of things I didn't agree with, but all is said and done." He smiled, but Naruto was smart enough to catch onto the apprehension. "Why don't we all go out for some Ichiraku?"

Naruto grinned, and Kushina gave a smile that feigned happiness. With that, the family left for the restaurant, enjoying a light-hearted evening.

* * *

Ino sat on the couch of her family's living room, lounging about as she read puff pieces on her laptop. She had another tab open to a fashion furniture store, and she scrolled down the page to see which set she liked most. Her parents had given her permission to redo her room, and she had gladly accepted.

The front door opened, and her parents walked in, weary and tired. Ino raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "Tough meeting?"

Her father nodded, sitting down next to her. "Very tough, and very complicated."

Ino scooted closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. She was thirteen, and most of the girls her age would refuse to cuddle with their fathers, but she was a Daddy's girl through and through. "You can tell me about it, I give pretty good advice."

Inoichi laughed, turning and kissing the top of his daughter's head. "That you do, but I don't want you to waste your concern on me."

Before Ino could respond, a maid walked in, announcing that dinner was ready. They sat down, and Inoichi and his wife listened as Ino prattled on about her plans to redesign her room, talking about furniture, putting cabinets in her walk in closet, which paint colors she liked, and whatnot. After ten minutes, Ino grew bored of talking, and ate her dinner in silence as well. The tension in the room made it almost too thick to breathe, until Ino's mother spoke up.

"Darling, have you ever wanted a sibling?"

Ino looked up. "For a while, I thought I wanted a little sister, but after seeing how that ended for Hinata, I decided that younger siblings were a waste of time, and that they were too much for me to handle. Why?"

Her mom shook her head. "No reason, dear."

Ino stared at her mother. "Don't tell me you're pregnant! Oh my God, ewwww! That's gross, you guys are like fifty! Didn't you get your tubes tied a long time ago?!"

Inoichi spoke, giving Ino a firm look. "Ino, calm down. Your mother is not pregnant, but if she were, that kind of reaction is not befitting of a young lady who will become the head of the Yamanaka clan. Do you understand me?"

Ino grew quiet, nodding sullenly as she stared back at her dinner. Suddenly, she was suspicious of what was going on with her parents. The evening passed by too slowly, and as Ino sat in her bubble bath, she wondered what had happened at the meeting to make her parents act so weird.

* * *

Hiashi looked on as Neji and Hinata sparred, with Neji blocking and counter attacking Hinata effortlessly. Hanabi watched on next to him, and she placed her head against his side. He didn't think about it as he stroked her hair, finding solace in the soft tresses. With a sigh, he ended the sparring session.

"Neji, Hinata, that's enough for today."

They stopped, and Hiashi beckoned the three children inside. His wife had just finished making tea, and she smiled serenely at them all. Hiashi couldn't say that he was in love with her, or any other woman for that matter, but he found her to be a wonderful wife and mother. In addition, she had been his source of comfort after Hizashi had been murdered.

She turned to her Hinata and Neji, "Would you two care for something cold to drink?"

Neji shook his head, bowing politely. "No thank you, Lady Hyuga." It had been a little over a year since Hiashi had revealed the truth about Hizashi to Neji, and while the relationship they shared was far better than it had been in the past, they weren't exactly close, either. Neji's mother had become terminally ill about a month afterwords, and had passed a few months later. Now, the boy was living with the Main Family, at the insistence of the elders. Neji rarely spoke unless spoken to, and Hiashi wished he could comfort the kid, but he wasn't able to bring comfort to his own daughters.

Not that Hanabi needed any comforting. She was a vibrant, happy, confident girl, and though he would never openly admit it, she was his favorite. It couldn't be helped, really. He bonded with her in a way that just simply wasn't possible with Hinata.

It bothered him slightly that his eldest had bonded with her mother so much more than with him, but he didn't think that could be helped. He had tried to talk to Hinata, just to see what was on her mind, who her friends were, how she liked school, and all other mundane questions that he could come up with. But no matter how hard he tried, she just wouldn't say much. Instead of realizing that it was her nature to not say much, he interpreted it as her unwillingness to bond with him, even though he would never say anything like that aloud.

"How was the meeting?" Hinata asked quietly.

Hiashi sighed. "Anything involving the Uchiha means trouble, but right now, I don't wish to talk of such irritating matters. How was your training?"

Hinata smiled gently at her father, in a way similar to her mother. "It went well, wouldn't you say, big brother?"

Neji nodded, and replied with a terse response in the positive. The room grew quiet and remained so for the duration of the evening.

* * *

Itachi and Shisui were sitting on the back patio of the former's home, watching the sunset and discussing matters of menial importance. The back door opened, and both young adults turned, seeing Sasuke. Itachi smiled at his little brother. "How was the mission?"

Sasuke grunted. "It was more of a challenge than I was expecting, but it was overall successful."

Shisui smiled as well. "That's good to hear. Are you enjoying your new rank as a chunin?"

Sasuke shrugged, but both of the other males knew he did. Sasuke turned around. "I'm going inside." The door closed, and Shisui and Itachi were left in silence.

"Your parents must be proud of him."

Itachi nodded. "They are, but the kid gets far too many missions for his own good."

Shisui laughed a little. "We were the same way. Guess we still are."

Itachi gave a grunt in acknowledgement, and the two headed inside. Sasuke was asleep on the couch, exhausted from his mission, and Itachi turned the air conditioning down a little so his baby brother could sleep. He gave Sasuke a fond smile, ruffling the latter's hair and pouring a glass of water that he gave to Shisui.

The front door opened, and Mikoto and Fugaku walked inside. Catching the sight of her youngest son asleep on the couch, Mikoto smiled, leaning down and kissing his forehead gently.

Fugaku looked over to his wife, and his lazy excuse for a son. "What's wrong with you, boy?! Haven't I told you not to sleep on the couch before?!"

Sasuke's eyes shot open, and he tried to cover up the fact that he'd broken his father's rule. "I was meditating, Father, but I apologize for upsetting you."

Fugaku shook his head, turning to his eldest son and nephew. "How were things at the station during my absence?"

"They were fine, father. How was the meeting?"

"The damn thing was so infuriating. Nothing involving the Hyuga is good news, as we all know, but when the Council is added to the mix, things just get worse."

Shisui nodded. "What was the topic of the meeting, if I may ask?"

"Village security. They have this plan for the ultimate weapon, and we have no choice but to participate."

Itachi's eyebrows furrowed. "I'm sure the Hokage was a little more reasonable than that."

Fugaku grunted. "That's the thing- Minato had no more control than we did at the meeting."

Before more questions could be asked, Mikoto intervened. "We should eat dinner soon, don't you all agree?" She was able to make something quickly, and they sat discussing Sasuke's mission that day. He'd followed a bunch of bandits who were looking for scrolls sent from the Hokage. There'd been a skirmish, and he'd successfully arrested all eight of them while rescuing his comrades. He received much praise for his accomplishment, and the Uchiha sat there peacefully.

Mikoto lay in bed that night, wondering what was to happen next. A surrogate had been found, some former prostitute from the outskirts of the village, and they were to all report to the hospital for an appointment with Tsunade. She turned to her husband, eyes wide and questioning. "Are you worried?"

He grunted. "About what? The baby we supposedly have to create? I just think that there's an ulterior motive behind it all. That Danzo never was a supporter of any clan, much less of the Uchiha, and the fact that he's involved just makes me even more suspicious."

Mikoto bit her lip, frowning deeply. "Do you think he'll get the opportunity to harm us at all? What about Sasuke and Itachi?"

Fugaku sighed. "They'll be fine- if he strikes at all, it'll be when the child is already born."

She sighed. "I'm not sure I want to have another child. What of the age differences between the baby and our existing sons?"

Fugaku grunted. "All of this can be hashed out later, but for right now, we should sleep." He turned off his bedside lamp, and Mikoto did the same, silently wondering what this new baby was to bring.

* * *

It was official- the IVF had taken, and the prostitute was pregnant. Three months along, to be exact, due the first week of August. Shikaku sighed, knowing that he would soon have to tell Shikamaru, along with the rest of the clan. But how were they to ever understand what he and his wife had been pressured into? They simply couldn't, and he would be looked down upon, and seen as less of a leader, less of a father, and less of a man...

Yoshino placed her hand on his shoulder, rubbing it slightly. She gave him a supportive and reassuring smile- they had been through the process of having a baby before, and they could do it again.

Minato and Kushina were unusually quiet, and didn't really have a reaction to the news. In fact, the only people who had seemed pleased at all about the situation was the Council. Of course they would be happy- this was their idea in the first place. Kushina thought miserably. She placed her head on her husband's shoulder, savoring the feel of his arm around her. She looked over to Mikoto, whose face was impassive, but Kushina could see the analysis behind the stoic grey eyes. Mikoto turned, catching her gaze, and gave her a half hearted smile.

Danzo spoke. "I assume that by now, all of you are aware that this pregnancy is in full swing. There is no turning back from this. I order you to tell your clans and families at once. You are now dismissed."

The clans lingered in the room, as did the prostitute. She glanced at them nervously, and tried to bring up some bravado. Minato walked over to her, and in an attempt to be kind, he held out his hand. "It's nice to finally meet you, I'm-"

The prostitute sneered. "Yeah, I know who you are, stupid bastard. You're the Hokage, strongest person in the village, greatest ninja ever to have existed, and all that shit. Listen asshat, I don't want to be here, those old guys just gave me this job so I could leave prison and have parole. Capice?"

Minato was taken aback, but Kushina was enraged. She grabbed the protitute's shirt, glaring at her and causing the other woman to cower slightly. "I don't give a shit why you're here, or what your opinion is- I don't want to hear you say another Goddamn thing about my husband. He earned his fucking title, and you'd do damn well to respect him. Got it, bitch?"

The prostitute glared at Kushina, but upon meeting the fury in the other woman's eyes, backed down and nodded feebly. "Whatever. So who's paying me?"

Fugaku narrowed his eyes. "No one is paying you. If it would be anyone, talk to the Council."

The prostitute stared at him for a moment, before she realized who he was. "You're the cop that arrested me! You asshole! Do you know what prison is like? Do you know how much you ruined my life- you fuck head?!"

Fugaku glared at her. "I do know what prison is like, and you're better off there than on the streets. Besides, whore, you didn't have much of a life to ruin, if I recall. All you did was peddle money and shoot up, in addition to corrupting our streets and youth."

The prostitute became feral, leaning in to slap him, but Mikoto caught her hand. The prostitute stared up at the rather tall woman, looking into her eyes and immediately wishing she hadn't. The racing red of the Sharingan sent tremors down her spine, and she shook in fear. It felt as though she couldn't breathe, and the tightness of her chest was slowly suffocating her. Never before had her heartbeat stopped like this, and her body was cold with terror. She wanted to cry, and not caring about how awful it was, the prostitute wet herself in fear. Mikoto saw this, and released the other woman. "The next time you even think about harming my husband, remember that feeling. I only spared you the true terror of the Sharingan because you're carrying my child. I was once a jonin, I can kill you easily. Just keep that in mind."

Yoshino glanced at the Uchiha, and started to reprimand her. "Was that really necessary? She wet herself, Mikoto! Don't you think you went a little overboard?"

Mikoto shrugged slightly, waving off the lecture. "If she had come at your husband, your reaction would have likely been the same."

Yoshino didn't respond, knowing that it was true.

Chouza cleared his throat, "Why don't we all go out to eat? I mean, a new baby is cause for celebration, isn't it?"

Inoichi smiled. "That sounds like a great idea."

The sixteen of them headed to the nearest restaurant, taking the back section that was usually used for events. Since it wasn't booked for that day, they had plenty of time to discuss what was to happen during the next six months.

Minato sighed, taking a shot of sake. "I don't think that we should let the civilians know who the child really is, if only for the safety of the baby. As such, I feel we should give this child a civilian last name, in order to keep the true identity a secret."

Hiashi nodded. "Agreed. Besides, it would be best not to have the child take one single clan name, if only for the sake of all our sanity." His wife reached out to hold his hand, and he let her, simply because he didn't care to push her away at the moment.

Fugaku sighed. "I hate agreeing with Hyuga, but he has a point. Due to clan policy, this child cannot officially take the Uchiha name."

Minato raised an eyebrow. "Why not? You're the father, and Mikoto is the mother."

"The child must carry at least one fourth of Uchiha blood, and this child only has one eighth. Regardless of who is the parent, I must set an example and uphold the policy of my clan."

Inoichi nodded. "The Yamanaka clan has a similar policy. I cannot allow for the child to take the clan name, either."

Kushina groaned. "Well, which last name can we use? Minato and I are the only civilians in this group, but we both have far too many enemies to let the child take our surname."

Mikoto placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "We can simply pull a last name from the civilian records, can't we?"

Minato nodded. "Yes, we can. But as of yet, we shouldn't be too concerned about names, since we don't even know the gender of the child. Our concern right now should be how we're going to tell our families and clans."

Inoichi sighed. "I doubt Ino will be happy about the news. She babysat once for our cousins, and remarked that she would never do it again. She really hates dealing with children... and people for that matter."

Shikaku pat his friend on the back. "Well, that's what you get for having a daughter, my friend." Inoichi raised an eyebrow, and his friend laughed a little. "I was just kidding. As for Shikamaru, he'll most likely complain the entire time, but he'll be fine."

Chouza laughed. "Choji's pretty easy going, I'm not worried at all."

Hiashi rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter how Hinata and Hanabi react- they're going to have to deal with it."

Shibi said something about how Shino would take the news well, but no one listened.

Mikoto sighed. "I think Itachi will be fine, but I don't know about Sasuke. He's a wonderful son, but he's the baby of the clan. I just think that he's so used to having that title that any change will be difficult for him."

Fugaku grunted. "He'll finally learn to take responsibility, then. You and the rest of the clan have coddled him far too much, in my opinion. He's a brat."

Mikoto huffed. "I'd hardly say he's a brat, dear. He's a good son, and he's one of the most skilled in the clan."

Fugaku rolled his eyes. "You sound as if you're running his campaign to become Hokage."

Mikoto shrugged. "He would make an excellent Hokage. We named him after the Third's father for a reason, dear."

Fugaku made a noise of acknowledgement, taking a generous swig of his sake.

Kushina turned to Mikoto. "You know, if I'm not mistaken, this is kind of like us becoming in laws."

Mikoto laughed a little. "Oh, how I wish! Honestly, I'm hoping for a girl. I've always wanted a daughter."

Kushina smiled. "So have I."

Hiashi grunted. "I have nothing but daughters, I'd like a son this time."

Shikaku nudged Inoichi jokingly. "This could be your lucky break, my man."

"Shut up! Ino will be a great leader," Inoichi growled.

Chouza laughed. "He was just messing around. You always get touchy when you drink."

Minato laughed, before standing. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I have paperwork to get back to. If any of you need anything, feel free to give me a call." He left, and Kushina sighed.

"He should just have his clones do the work for him." She crossed her arms across her chest as she grumbled about 'stupid Hokage work.'

Mikoto laughed. "Why don't you and Naruto come over for a while? It'll take your mind off of that."

Kushina raised an eyebrow. "You have wine, right?"

Mikoto smiled. "Of course I do."

Kushina smiled widely, in a way similar to Naruto. "It's a date!"

Fugaku sighed. "I need to leave as well."

Mikoto sighed. "Why?"

"The police station doesn't run itself." He left, pulling on his jacket as he walked out of the restaurant.

Kushina leaned in to whisper in Mikoto's ear. "I just think he doesn't want to be there with the two of us drinking."

Mikoto nodded. The group sat in silence, and slowly filtered out.

Mikoto and Kushina made their way towards the latter's home, and walked in. "Sorry about the mess, I just hate cleaning, and Naruto doesn't help at all."  
Mikoto laughed, waving off the concern.

As they walked into the living room, Kushina saw Naruto sleeping on the couch, snoring softly. The Uchiha smiled at the sight; she had often thought of Naruto as a son, seeing as how he was often over to hang out with Sasuke. Kushina walked over to the sleeping boy, shaking his shoulder gently. "Naruto, wake up." He grumbled, and Kushina kept shaking his shoulder, albeit a little more roughly. "Naruto, now." He swatted her hands away, whining slightly. Kushina had a wicked smile on her face, and placed her hands on his sides, and she began tickling him. He giggled a little, and the giggles soon turned into full-out laughter.

"I-I'm up! St-stop it, Mom!" Kushina smirked, and Mikoto laughed from behind the couch. Naruto turned, embarrassed that the other woman had seen his moment of weakness. "Did you really have to do that, Mom?!"

Kushina smirked. "Not my fault you laugh like a little baby. Now, come on, we're heading over to the Uchiha's place for a while."

Naruto yawned, following his mom and her friend over to the Uchiha mansion. It was only about a fifteen minute walk until they arrived.

Mikoto opened the door, and Itachi greeted his mother as she walked in. "Hello Mother. How was the meeting?"

She smiled. "It was fine. Sorry it took so long, we went out with the other clans for drinks afterwards." Kushina and Naruto entered the house behind her, and Itachi smiled politely and greeted them as well.

"Kushina, Naruto, it's nice to see you again."

Kushina laughed. "You're so formal, just like your father!"

Itachi only smiled in return, and Sasuke came downstairs. "Mom, have you seen my phone charger?"

She shook her head. "I haven't, but we have company, dear."

Sasuke turned, and smirked when he saw Naruto. "What brings you here, loser?"

Naruto glared. "Shut up, asshole!"

Kushina elbowed him hard. "Naruto, where did you learn to speak like that?!"

"From you!"

Kushina rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "Oh yeah, that's right. Well, if anyone asks you that question, from now on, tell them you learned it from your old man!"

Mikoto raised an eyebrow. "I doubt anyone would believe that, Kushina."

"You never know! Minato swears all the time!"

Naruto and Sasuke rolled their eyes, and went upstairs to Sasuke's room. Sasuke turned to Naruto. "I know you're pretty thick, but even you must have noticed that everyone's parents are acting weird."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Our parents always act weird!"

Sasuke face palmed in response. "Are you serious?! Think about it: when was the last time you saw the Hyuga and members of my clan fighting?"

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows. "Hmmm, that's a good point. Maybe there's a new treaty that you just don't know about."

Sasuke shook his head. "You idiot, no one ever listens to those kinds of laws. My father just came home half an hour ago, and he said that there's a clan meeting tonight. Something big has happened, and I get the feeling that it's not good."

Naruto sighed. "Now that I think about it, Dad has been more stressed from work than usual. Maybe there's an important visitor coming?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "That could be. Ever since that ninja tried to kidnap Hinata, everyone's always on high alert when a foreign dignitary visits."

Naruto smiled. "See?! It's just some important dude coming to sign some agreement, and everyone'll be back to normal by next week!"

Sasuke shrugged. "Alright. So now that that's settled, what do you want to do?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I could kick your ass at Call of Duty like I always do?"

Sasuke smirked. "Last I checked, I was the one who has the most kills."

Naruto glared at him. "We'll see about that!"

The two of them sat there, playing the game for a few hours before Itachi walked in. "Dinner is ready."

Naruto glanced at him. "Are my mom and I staying over?"

Itachi nodded, and the three of them headed downstairs. Minato and Fugaku were laughing about something or other, as were Mikoto and Kushina. When the adults saw the adolescents in the doorway, they stopped laughing, and the room became quiet. The parents all looked at each other, before nodding in agreement. All Naruto and Sasuke could wonder was what their parents had been plotting. Itachi was in the know of course, leaving the two boys more than confused.

Mikoto smiled. "Well, let's eat, shall we?"

Everyone took a seat at the table, eating their meals quietly. The adults engaged in small talk, with Itachi commenting every so often. Finally, they had all just about finished their plates, when Mikoto spoke. "Sasuke, Naruto, we have something big to tell you two."

The two looked at each other, wondering of their earlier hypothesis was correct. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Minato cleared his throat. "A few months ago, at the meeting we had attended, the Council presented us with an agreement of sorts, and that agreement constituted creating a child that would be part of all of the clans. We've just confirmed that the pregnancy is past the first trimester, and that the baby will be born in late July or early August."

Naruto looked confused. "I don't get it..."

Kushina sighed. "You're going to be an older brother, Naruto."

The boy's eyes widened. "What?! But you don't even look pregnant!"

Minato chuckled at his son's reaction. "Your mother isn't pregnant, we used a surrogate unde the orders of the Council."

Naruto seemed to comprehend. "But wait, how can all of the clans have the same baby? Is that even possible now?"

Kushina nodded. "It is- Lady Tsunade was able to combine all of our DNA into one, and we just found out that the baby is three months along."

Naruto smiled. "Do you know if its a boy or girl yet?"

Fugaku grunted. "That won't be known for another month or two at the earliest."

Sasuke spoke for the first time since the news had been revealed. "So who's the surrogate?"

Mikoto stiffened. "A former prostitute."

The other adults stiffened, recalling the woman's unpleasant nature. Fugaku cleared his throat. "The purpose of the clan meeting is to explain the situation to everyone else in the clan."

Sasuke nodded, taking in the news. Truth be told, he hated children, a lot. Kakashi had brought his newborn son to meet Team Seven a few weeks prior, and when that child screamed, Sasuke became annoyed instantly. He knew that it wasn't the baby's fault that he was crying, but to Sasuke, it didn't matter. Though he hated little children, they always seemed to want his attention. Luckily, he was the youngest member of the Uchiha clan, and therefore rarely had to deal with children... For now.

He didn't want the responsibility of being an older brother. He didn't want to have to babysit a little kid, or listen to the baby cry, or hear the child whine and beg him to do things. He hated the idea of having little kids around, knowing how nasty they were. The thought of having a little brother or sister was less than thrilling, and he could picture a little child getting her sticky hands all over his things, and crying when he took it away. This was going to be a real pain in the ass, he knew it.

Minato cleared his throat. "Thank you both for having us over for dinner. It was wonderful, Mikoto, you give Kushina a run for her money." Kushina jokingly slapped him, and they left.

Fugaku turned to his family. "It is now time to tell the clan." No words were spoken as the family made their way to the meeting place. Fugaku sighed, knowing that some members of the clan would be extremely upset with the village legislature for mandating the conception. He just hoped that they would be able to see the reasoning behind it, if only to preserve the Uchiha's stake in the village. There were far too many things on his mind at the moment, and he sometimes wished that he could simply pass the torch on to Itachi.

He unlocked the door, and his family seated themselves at the long table. Flicking on the lights, Fugaku could now clearly see the impact of the situation. Sasuke, being the baby he was, had began to mope about the decision, and if he didn't have to maintain a stern demeanor, Fugaku would have laughed aloud. He knew his youngest son was not the type to enjoy children, especially small ones. Unfortunately for Sasuke, there was no going back on the matter.  
Itachi seemed impassive at first glance, but upon further contemplation, Fugaku could see the utter confusion that his heir felt. But what was there for Itachi to make a fuss over? It wasn't like the young adult had to make arrangements with the other clans or the village, nor did he have to find a way to accommodate a baby. The man shook his head, moving onto his wife.

Mikoto's beautiful face was brought down by stress. Her eyebrows were furrowed in the center, and there were creases in her forehead. Her jaw was slightly clenched, and she bit her bottom lip in worry, and he could hear her mumbling to herself slightly. She had brought a square that she had been quilting for a few hours, mindlessly going thought the motions of stitching the fabrics together. He could only imagine the internal rant she was having, and he knew that probably of all the mothers involved in this, she was the most upset.

After having Sasuke, Fugaku had decided he didn't want any more children, but Mikoto still wanted a girl. She had discussed adoption, and becoming foster parents. She went so far as to suggest hosting an exchange student from the Sand Village. With his responsibilities at work, Fugaku had no desire to go through any of the intense processes that the aforementioned systems held, and he had vehemently let Mikoto know that they were not going to have another child in any way, shape, or form. She was devastated, but she hadn't let it show. Now, she was beginning to rediscover how badly she had wanted a baby girl. However, the fact that it was coming from an order, and not out of a shared desire between herself and her husband, weighed heavily on Mikoto's conscious.

The door opened, revealing an older man that looked very much alike to Fugaku. The latter gave a deep bow. "Hello, Father. I trust that you are well?"

The old man grunted. "I'm fine. You'd better have a good explanation for such a late meeting, boy."

Fugaku sighed. "I apologize for the hour, Father, but rest assured that this is a very much needed meeting."

The Uchiha Elder snorted, rolling his eyes as he looked to his son's family. Mikoto looked up from her quilting, smiling warmly at him as she hugged him. He gave her a halfhearted grin; truth be told, he was a bit of a lecher, and his daughter in law was a hell of a frenzy for him. Still, he would show a bit of restraint around the rest of the clan and especially his grandsons.

The Uchiha Elder had always been somewhat fond of Itachi, since the young man showed so much promise. As the former head of the clan, he had more of an obligation to spend time with his eldest grandson to prepare him for the difficulties that lay ahead. He gave Itachi a nod of acknowledgement when the latter bowed, before turning to his youngest grandson.

Sasuke was definitely the apple of everyone's eye, as far as the Uchiha were concerned. The boy bowed respectfully, and his grandfather ruffled his hair slightly. Sasuke scowled in annoyance, but one look from his grandfather's steely eyes quelled any rebellious behavior instantly.

The clan slowly filtered in, until they were all accounted for. Fugaku stood at the front of the room, for once at a loss as to how to speak to his fellow clansmen. Finally, he cleared his throat and started.

"Three months ago, my wife and I were called to a meeting to discuss village security. The other clan heads were also in attendance, along with the Hokage and the rest of the council. There were many ideas put on the floor, but only one was ultimately passed.

The council wishes to create the ultimate weapon for the village in the form of an individual- one that is able to use multiple kekkei genkai in one blow. To achieve this, my wife and I, along with all of the other clan heads and the Hokage and his wife, are due to have a child six months from now, sometime between late July and early August.

This child is to be accepted as an Uchiha, even though he shall not bear the name. In addition, we are to train this child as if it were any normal Uchiha child, and give our dedication accordingly. I expect no less from any of you."

Tekka stood, slamming his fist on the table angrily. "Lord Fugaku, the Uchiha clan should have never been forced to even participate in this ludicrous motion! We are the strongest clan of all- if we show the Council just how strong we are-"

"We will all die in the attempt, and cause a war." Itachi glanced over at the other man after speaking.

Fugaku glared at Tekka. "If I hadn't signed that treaty that day, we would all be dead. The Elders would have launched a surprise attack from the ANBU, and no matter our strength, our numbers are far too low to be able to counter something of that extent."

Inabi raised an eyebrow. "So I take it the Hokage ordered for this to take place?"

Fugaku shook his head. "He had no more say than ourselves in the matter. Apparently, the members of Root are far greater than the members of the regular ANBU."

There was a collective silence, before Kagami spoke up. "Who is the surrogate?"

Mikoto huffed slightly. "A former prostitute."

A low murmur of disdain circulated throughout the room, and Fugaku cleared his throat. "We had no choice in the matter- it was the village elders who decided on such." Though there was still a strong sense of disagreement regarding the decision, the clan collectively realized that they would simply have to deal with it.

Fugaku cleared his throat, "If there are no further questions, this meeting is adjourned."

The clan filtered out, with some of the members congratulating the main family for the new addition. Kagami and Shisui remained, along with the village elder, when the latter began berating his son for being a weak head of the clan.

"What would drive you to make such a simple minded and weak decision?! When I handed you the position as clan head, I expected that you would be a leader, not some dog to the Senju-tainted Council!"

"Father, I had no choice but to agree. They would have annihilated the clan as a whole with a surprise attack."

His father scoffed. "The Uchiha are the most elite clan to have existed, surely we would have been able to fend off any such ambush."

"No, we wouldn't." Everyone turned to Itachi, who had spoken. Seeing his grandfather's raised eyebrow, he continued. "While our clan is gifted with incredible powers, we are not invincible. Our Sharingan and fire style Justus are truly formidable, yet they are able to be conquered. If we ever forget that we can be defeated, that will be the day when we all meet our demise, and it would suit us well to remember that."

The elder stiffened, but could not argue against Itachi's point. He sighed, and turned to his son. "Do you at least know if you'll gift me with another grandson, or burden me with a granddaughter?"

Fugaku shook his head. "That won't be known for another month or so at the earliest."

Kagami spoke. "Even if the child is female, she will surely be the most beautiful little girl in the village, given the inheritance of her family." He gave Fugaku a small smile, and was given a small nod and twitch of the lips in return.

The elder grumbled. "Oh, yes, well, I suppose if she takes after Mikoto, she will."

Mikoto smiled softly. "You're too kind, father."

He gave her a wink in return. "Your beauty was possibly the biggest factor in why I wanted you to marry my son."

She nodded, knowing how perverted her father in law was. The old man bid the small group good night, swiftly leaving the room. She turned to Kagami, hugging her brother tightly in gratitude. He smiled, hugging her back before turning to his nephews. "So, Sasuke, are you excited to be relieved from your position as the youngest in the clan?"

Sasuke scoffed. "While I don't particularly enjoy being babied all the time, I don't exactly favor dealing with a little child as an alternative."

Shisui laughed. "Itachi said something along the same lines when your mother was pregnant with you."

Itachi smiled slightly. "Yes, I remember that." He turned to his younger brother. "Your feelings about being an older sibling may very well change by the time the baby arrives. Just keep that in mind, Sasuke."

The teenager rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Fugaku sighed. "We should all be heading home." Kagami nodded, before he and Shisui left, bidding everyone a good night on their way out. The walk home was rather silent, and everyone slowly made their way into their rooms without any words spoken.

Sasuke lay in bed, unsure of how to feel about the entire situation. He contemplated the possibility that maybe his younger sibling wouldn't be so bad, and that it would be nice to have someone looking up to him. Smirking to himself, he figured that maybe he'd be able to convince the kid to do his chores for him later down the road.

* * *

Ino burst into her room, sobbing incessantly. Her parents had just announced the news to her, and the feeling of betrayal shook her to her core. She knew thy they didn't have much of a choice in the matter, that the decision was taken out of their hands, but she felt otherwise. _Weren't they the ones who told me that you always have a choice?! _she thought bitterly. _I knew they were up to something a few months ago when Mom asked that sibling question._ Throwing herself on her bed, she buried herself into the fluffy decorative pillows, trying to ignore the fact that her parents were probably concerned.

There was a knocking at her door, and she half heartedly threw a pillow at it. "Go away! I don't wanna talk."

She could hear her father sigh from the other side of the door. "Sweetheart, please, can we just finish explain-"

"No! I said I don't feel like talking to you!" The door burst open, with her father stepping in and her mother a few steps behind.

"Ino, I know that this isn't easy on you, but you need to stop acting like a three year old and start acting like a thirteen year old." Inoichi gave her a firm look, and she buried herself into her pillows, shaking her head at his lecture.

"Why didn't you just tell me in the first place?! Why did you even agree to do this?!" Ino wailed, glaring at her parents through teary, red-rimmed eyes.

Lady Yamanaka's eyes filled with tears, and she pulled her daughter into a tight hug, allowing the young teen to cry on her shoulder. "Oh, my love. We couldn't tell you on the day the decision was made- we didn't even know that this idea would take. If we hadn't agreed, the entire Yamanaka clan would have been dead, including you, my flower. I just couldn't let that happen, so please, forgive us." By the end of her speech, Lady Yamanaka was crying alongside her daughter, and she could feel Inoichi hugging the two of them comfortingly.

"How am I supposed to go from being an only child for thirteen years to having a younger sibling?! I don't think I'd even be that great of an older sister anyways!"

Inoichi wiped his daughter's tears with his thumbs, giving her a gentle smile. "You'll be the best older sister this child has, my flower." He kissed her forehead softly, and she leaned her head into his chest. He smiled- some things never changed; Ino would always be the center of his universe, just as she'd always be a daddy's girl. "I love you so much, Ino, never forget that. And even though you'll have a younger sibling, you'll always be my girl- don't ever forget that, ok?"

Ino gave him the most stunning smile she could manage at the moment. "Forever and always, Daddy."

* * *

Shikaku sighed, pondering whether or not Shikamaru was really going to take the news well. He knew that he didn't really have reason to worry- after all, his son was fairly easy going and level-headed- but there were times when the boy surprised him. Yoshino walked in from the kitchen.

"You're not seriously worried, are you dear?" she asked, and he grunted in response. She rooled her eyes, stepping behind him and massaging his shoulders. "Stop making such a fuss! Shikamaru will complain about how troublesome this is, at the most."

"What's this about me complaining?" Shikamaru stepped into the dining room, placing his weapons holster in the hallway cabinet.

Yoshino smiled. "We have big news for you, Shikamaru, take a seat."

He raised an eyebrow at his mother, before pulling out his chair and sitting at the table. "Why are you two acting so weird today? God, this is such a drag…"he mumbled, propping an elbow up on the table and resting his head in his hand. His mom and dad sure were acting odd, and in his mind, that would never lead to anything good. His mom didn't even say that this was good news, just 'big' news.

Shikaku took a deep breath before starting. "Son, your mother and I are having another baby."

Shikamaru sat pin straight in his seat. "What do you mean you're having another baby?! Aren't you guys like, fourty?"

Yoshino growled in annoyance. "Will you be quiet and let your father finish what he was saying?!"

Shikaku cleared his throat. "Anyways, as I was saying, we're having another baby, but this one is different. You see, the council wanted to combine all the clans into one person, so naturally, all of the clans, along with the Hokage and his wife, are also going to be parent to this child."

Shikamaru gave his father a confused look. "How is that even possible? Last I was told, there could only be one male and one female in making a baby."

Shikaku sighed. "I'm not sure of the exact details, but Lady Tsunade has come up with some new medical ninjutsu that allows her to combine eight sets of parents into one baby."

Shikamaru sighed. "What a drag. So now I have to be a big brother, huh?"

Yoshino smiled. "it won't be that bad. Besides, wouldn't it be nice to have a younger sibling look up to you and idolize you?"

Shikamaru yawned. "Not really. I'm not that big of a fan of babies or kids, you know? But I guess if it makes you guys happy, I'll tolerate it."

Yoshino hugged her son, kissing his head sweetly. "Oh, just think of it- six months from now, you're going to have a baby brother or sister. Isn't that exciting?!"

Shikamaru sighed. "Yeah, I guess." He smiled slightly. From what little he had seen of Hinata and Hanabi's, and by extension, Sasuke and Itachi's relationships, older and younger siblings could be really close. Sometimes, he wished he'd had someone to play Shogi with. His smile widened, as he thought of the day when he would teach his little brother how to play the game. Maybe this would be alright, despite how troublesome it could prove to be.

* * *

Three months later, the clan heads sat in the lobby of the family planning center, awaiting the results. After months of trying to identify the baby's gender by sonogram, they were all anxious to find out if it would be a boy or a girl. Tsunade walked out, holding a clipboard in her hand and smiling widely. "It's a girl, congratulations!"

Mikoto beamed in pure delight. Finally, a little girl! One that she could buy dresses for, and whose hair she could place ribbons in. A baby daughter that she could spoil and snuggle with, and talk about boys and crushes with. She knew that this baby would be wonderful, intelligent, and beautiful; Itachi and Sasuke would give her so much love in their own brotherly way.

Turning to Fugaku, Mikoto nearly laughed at her husband's crestfallen expression. His furrowed eyebrows and slight pout only further emphasized his prominent jowls, and his eyes focused on the ground. It wasn't that he hated the idea of having a daughter, it was just that he felt he would have a hard time connecting with the child, especially into the teenage years. From what he'd seen of his clansmen that had daughters, it was definitely hard once their girls hit puberty, and Fugaku could feel the distant dread his future was sure to being him.

What was his father going to think? The words the old man had muttered to him from the clan meeting a while back rang loud and clear in his mind. Gift me with another grandson, or burden me with a granddaughter... Would the Uchiha elder approve of this new daughter? Furthermore, what of the rest of the clan? Daughters were almost always a burden when it came to marriage, as providing a sufficient dowry was the most important thing to Uchiha parents. With a sigh, Fugaku accepted the news. He couldn't change the gender of the child- that was both unnatural and far too extreme for even him.

Kushina was sharing similar thoughts as Mikoto. When she had first become pregnant, she had dreamt a few times of a strawberry blond daughter, one that was as intelligent as Minato, and as kick ass as herself. Naruto was very much the center of her world, that went without saying, but she sometimes wondered what would have happened if he had ended up being a she.

Speaking of Naruto, Kushina knew that he was going to be the fun brother, and that she and Minato were going to be the fun parents. Naruto was the most likely of the soon to be older siblings to get down on the floor and play. He pestered his parents about the baby all the time, asking about the child's health, and if he needed to do anything, and when they needed to set up the nursery. The most important question for the young blond was always about the gender, and now, he would finally know. Kushina grinned widely at the thought of Naruto holding his baby sister, playing with her, reading bedtime stories to her, cuddling with her, and just being an overall awesome big brother.

Minato saw Kushina lost in thought, and wrapped his hand over hers. She looked up to him, smiling excitedly, and he gave her a soft grin of his own. Truth be told, he had always wanted to have another baby with Kushina, but after Naruto's birth, it felt selfish for him to even ask that of her. When she had gone into labor with Naruto, a masked man who later revealed himself to be Madara Uchiha, had taken his son hostage and released the Nine Tailed Fox on the village. Minato had barely been able to seal the spirit away, with the Yin chakra in Kushina, and the Yang in Naruto. After the entire ordeal had passed, the couple silently decided that it would be best not to have another child, despite how much they wanted to.

Now, they were finally given that opportunity, and with significantly fewer risks involved. Smiling even wider, Minato mulled over the idea of his new baby girl. Would she be as much of a Daddy's girl as some of the other little girls in the village, or would she take after Kushina and be a total tomboy? Either way, it didn't matter to him- all that mattered was that she was healthy, happy, and most importantly, safe. He knew he shouldn't worry too much, seeing as how he could order the ANBU to protect her from any threats, added with the fact that all of the major clans within the village were her relatives. Still, a father can't help but worry, and Minato was a shining example of a worrywart if nothing else.

Yoshino turned to Shikaku, a d rather spontaneously kissed him hard. Though very surprised, he returned his wife's gesture, smiling at her as they pulled apart. It didn't matter to the Nara whether the baby was a boy or girl, but with the news, Shikaku was actually excited to have a daughter. Shikamaru had joked that a sister would be infinitely troublesome, but if given the choice, he would rather have a baby sister than a brother. Well son, looks like your wish was granted, Shikaku thought, looking over to Inoichi and his wife. What an opportune moment to give his friend a little shit!

"Well, Inoichi, looks like you're destined to just never have a son," he said, smirking at the other man's reacting.

"Don't pretend you're not happy about this, you jackass," Inoichi grumbled while giving his friend a slight glare.

Choza laughed. "Alright you two, settle down."

Inoichi scoffed, rolling his eyes before turning to his wife. Lady Yamanaka was about ready to leap out of her skin in joy. Within the past month, Ino had come around to the idea of being a big sister, and went shopping with her mother for baby supplies. Ino had openly confessed to everyone that she wanted a little sister, someone to, in her words, 'inherit the wisdom of fashion, beauty, and being a fierce kunoichi at the same time.' Ino also thought that the things from her old bedroom would be better off given to a little sister as sort of a hand me down.

Minato turned to his colleagues. "We might as well tell them now, since they're all here, what do you guys think?"

Hiashi nodded. "I agree."

With that, they all filed out of the room and into a waiting room where the rookie nine, Itachi, Hanabi, and Gai's team were waiting.

Minato smiled at them all. "It's a girl."

Naruto, and Ino cheered rather loudly, while Hinata, Shikamaru, Choji, and Hanabi all displayed their joy rather quietly. Kiba groaned something about another sister, earning a sharp swat on the head from Tsume followed by a sharp reprimand. Shino and his parents quietly discussed the news between themselves, but overall seemed happy with the matter.

Itachi turned to Sasuke. "So, it appears we're having a little sister." he mused.

"That's what they just said," Sasuke sulked. He'd wanted a younger brother, simply because he didn't want his sister's friends fawning over him. In addition, he felt that it would be easier to relate to a younger brother, and that his relationship with a brother would be better than that with a sister. Girls were strange creatures, no matter whose perspective they were seen from, and the annoyed the hell out of Sasuke. He couldn't help the situation, so he just attempted to put on a brave face and deal with it.

Itachi was joyed by the news, though he was able to keep a calm façade. Though he was happy that he would soon be blessed with another younger sibling, he knew that Sasuke would always be his top priority. Call it bias, favoritism, or whatever else, Itachi understood himself well enough to recognize that he would always love his little brother more than anyone else that came along.

It would be odd to have a little girl around, since very few females were born to the Uchiha clan. They were often looked down upon, and were placed under a significant amount of pressure. During his lessons on the inner workings of the clan, he had learned that not only did female Uchihas have to be excellent kunoichi, but excellent housewife material as well. Those who weren't were almost always ostracized by the clan, and their parents by extension. His own girlfriend, Masumi, had already started attempting to win his parents over by helping Mikoto in the kitchen, assisting in hosting clan events, and nearly going out of her way to mention that she wanted to marry and start a family as soon as possible.

Itachi wondered what types of pressure his little sister was to face. Surely, the Uchiha clan was not the only clan to have high standards and expectations for women, but the question was, would these expectations be too much to handle? Would the countless ceremonies, traditions, and rights of passage overwhelm the poor girl? The most awful thought crossed his mind as he mulled over his thoughts- what if his sister was not suited to be a ninja? Who would care for her then? He would do all he could, but by the time she became of genin age, he would likely be the head of the clan, and would have to oblige the ancient rulings that they held. To his knowledge, the other clans had very similar rulings as well, but it wasn't necessarily the clans he was concerned about.

If the baby proved to be invalid, the main concern was in the Council, and what their actions would be. Given the fact that she was born merely to be a weapon was already cruel enough, but if she failed in her purpose, what would they do to her? Would they kill her off and risk a retaliation from the clans? Would they resort to human experimentation to bring out her kekkei genkai? To what extent would they go to get their ultimate weapon, and what could he do to protect his sister from such a wretched life?

Neji walked over to his cousins and uncle, bowing his head. "Congratulations Lord Hiashi, I hope that this baby is healthy and strong at birth, and peaceful during her infancy."

Hinata smiled. "Thank you Neji, that's so sweet of you. If you think about it, you'll be kind of like her big brother."

Hanabi rolled her eyes. "No offense Neji, but you'd be a really boring brother! You're always so serious, and you're no fun!"

Neji raised an eyebrow playfully. "You have five seconds to take that back, or else."

Hanabi could sense a lingering threat in the air her cousin gave off, but she felt a thrill go through her as she decided to push his boundaries. "Or else what?" she challenged.

Neji grabbed her without warning, snatching her before she had the chance to run. Leaning down to whisper in her ear, he smirked. "Or else this." He placed his hands at her sides quickly tickling her to the point of hysterics. Her loud laughter echoed in the lobby, and drew attention to the pair of them. Embarrassed by the public display, Hiashi quickly separated them, briefly apologizing to the others for the interruption.

Tsunade came in, clearing her throat loudly. "I know that today is exciting for all of you, but unfortunately, I have to kick you out."

Minato smiled. "Of course, Lady Tsunade. We should probably head over to the restaurant anyways, or we might miss our reservation."

That night, the group celebrated with a hearty dinner that ended with a toast to the baby girl.

* * *

The morning of July first, Ayano Minori Ishihara was born. She was a rather small baby, weighing in at only five pounds, three ounces, and she was barely seventeen and a half inches long, but to her large family, she was perfect. Her long, thick lashes curled up, and when she slept, they covered her cheeks like a little fan. Her nose was small and cute, and her lips were full and vibrantly pink. She was astonishingly bald, with not even a tuft of hair growing. Perhaps the most prominent thing about her appearance was her eye color- a mesmorizing blue grey, befitting the meaning of her name.

The prostitute sat there on the bed, contemplating the fact that she had finished her duty and was now free to be on parole. She could go back to... What could she go back to? Her life destroying heroine addiction? Her lying and cheating men into sleeping with her for pay? Her sugar daddy who abused her, raped her, and stole from her? There was nothing left for her in that world, but because of her reckless behavior, there was no way she could ever have a stable job again. In fact, the pay she received from that bastard Danzo was hardly enough to last her a few months, and her criminal record would proceed her when applying for a job.

Looking over to Ayano, she sighed. That baby had become her life, and now she was walking out on the child she had spent hours giving birth to. It was painful to know that this child really wasn't hers, but to the prostitute, Ayano had become hers. How could a woman spend nine months carrying a baby, and not expect to feel a significant bond? There was no way she would ever win custody of the baby girl, not in a million years, but for some unknown reason, she still wanted to fight for her. Smiling slightly, she stroked the baby's cheek gently.

"You're gonna be one heck of a celebrity around here, that's for sure. Maybe I'll see you around sometime." _But the question is, will you see me? Will you ever know who I was, or think about me? Are you ever going to miss me at all, my baby?_

There was a knock at the door, and the sixteen parents to the child walked in, all cooing and rambling about how precious she was. They sat there, boasting in their own happiness and blessed lives, not even sparing a glance at the woman who had given them the precious gift they held in their arms. The prostitute sneered at them, and called a nurse to wheel her out of the room. She couldn't sit there and watch them take her baby, even though there was no part of her that could biologically claim the child in the first place.

* * *

Ino sat next to Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji, blabbering excitedly about how pretty the baby was going to be, and asking menial questions.

"Who do you think she's going to look like the most? I mean, she has a bit of blond, but there're a lot of brunettes in the mix, too. And her eye color! I mean, will she have grey eyes, or will they end up being blue?"

Hinata laughed a little. "I think she'll probably have brown hair, but a light brown, you know? She might have red highlights, because of Lady Kushina's hair."

Ino nodded. "That's right! I never thought about that before now! I wonder how big she's going to be?"

Sasuke scoffed. "All babies are small, no matter if they're five pounds or eight pounds. And as for what she looks like, she probably looks as if she just hatched out of an egg- red, wrinkly, and gross."

Itachi laughed a little. "Well, aren't you cynical?"

Sasuke shrugged. "It's the truth. She probably won't look human until she's four months old, at the earliest."

Naruto glared at him. "Shut up, bastard, she's going to be the cutest baby ever, believe it!"

A short squabble ensued amongst the siblings as they argued about their younger sister, when Mikoto came out. The teenagers quieted down, and she smiled softly, beckoning them all into the room.

Minato was holding Ayano when they stepped inside, and he smiled and stood up. "We decided to have you all hold her in order of oldest to youngest."

Itachi smiled a little, taking the baby into his arms with a practiced ease. She gazed at his face, emotionless, as he smiled down at her. All Ayano knew was that he was warm, and comfortable enough to snuggle into, so she did just that.

He turned, and handed her to Shino. She slept the entire time, so he handed her to Choji, who fawned excitedly over the sleeping bundle. Kiba was the next person to receive her, and it took many adjustments for him to hold her properly. In the process, he woke her up, and her shrill, shaky cries caused him to become flustered. He shoved her into Sasuke's arms nervously.

"Haha, it's your turn to hold her now, dude!" Sasuke scowled, rolling his eyes and shifting the baby to be more comfortable in his arms. She continued to cry, and he didn't know how to make her calm down. He quietly shushed her, and it seemed to work after a few minutes.

Shikamaru took her, relief on his face. "Thanks for calming her down, this would be really troublesome otherwise." He looked down at Ayano, taking in her angry, scrunched up face. The way she wrinkled her nose reminded him a lot of his Mom, and he smiled down at her. She continued making an angry face at him, and he thought it was adorable.

When Ino finally was able to hold her sister, she was in awe. The perfect little face stared up at her, long eyelashes adorning steely blue eyes. A pout, very similar to her own, was apparent, and Ino couldn't help but love the little one. Ayano yawned, and the baby's dimples were visible. She was perfect, Ino decided, and she reluctantly handed the baby to Naruto.

Holding his little sister, Naruto felt whole, as if a part of him had always been waiting for her. She was starting to get tired again, and nuzzled her face into his warm chest. He smiled fondly at her, finding solace in having someone to protect and love. She became his purpose for living, he decided. _I will never allow anything to happen to you,_ he vowed. _I will always do everything I can to protect you, and make you happy. I just want you to always know how much I love you. Big brother will always be here for you, never forget that._

The only people left to hold her were Hinata and Hanabi. They say next to each other, with Hanabi peering in at her little sister as Hinata cradled the newborn. Hinata gently kissed the baby's forehead, noticing the wonderful aroma Ayano had. The soft skin of the baby made her own feel rough, and the blanket was so soft against her arm. Hanabi furrowed her brows together, before speaking.

"Hinata?"

"Yes?"

"Will everyone ignore me now that I'm the middle child?"

Turning to her sister, Hinata smiled warmly. "Of course not! No matter how many younger siblings we end up having, you always have been, and always will be, my precious baby sister." Pressing a kiss to Hanabi's forehead, she leaned in to whisper in her sister's ear. "And I hope that you will never, ever forget that."

Hanabi gave her a dazzling smile in return, kissing Hinata's cheek before placing her head her the latter's shoulder.

For the new older siblings, it was a happy afternoon, as they spent it with their beautiful baby sister. Even Sasuke and Shino were able to crack a smile when Ayano focused her gaze on their faces. There were endless moments of cooing and snuggling with the newborn, as she fell in and out of sleep. Towards the early evening, the village elders paid a visit to see her, and though none of them made a move to hold her, no one in the room felt comfortable with them being so close to her.

Minato cleared his throat. "Lord Danzo, Lord Hiruzen, Lady Koharu, with all due respect, I believe Ayano needs to get some sleep."

Danzo rose an eyebrow. "Oh, and why is that?"

Minato gave him a firm glare, one that he rarely used. "Counting only family and hospital staff, the baby has been held by over thirty people, and it has only been her first day of life. She's been busy since her first breaths, and as an infant, she needs to get plenty of sleep."

Just as Danzo was about to reply, Shizune came in. "He's correct, the baby needs her sleep. In fact, since it is almost eight in the evening, I'm going to limit the number of family members in the room to four at a time."

The village elders left, and Danzo gave all of the parents a nasty look. Slowly, the room started to filter out, and Ayano was placed into a bassinet. Minato smiled at his baby daughter, "Soon, you'll be coming home with us, but for now, get some rest, my love." He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, leaving her to sleep peacefully.

The next day, Ayano went home with Minato, Kushina, and Naruto. Though it was impossible to tell what the baby was thinking, she seemed to be happy with her family, and when the custody rotation had completed a full cycle, everyone had become absolutely smitten with the little one.

* * *

A/N I hope everyone enjoyed this first chapter! Special thanks to sunshine1381 for helping me with the first draft, i love you sunshine! It took me a while to get going, but I hit a writer's block with my other fic, so I decided to come up with a sister story to it. Pun not intended. Anyways, leave a review, I love reading them!


	2. Chapter 2

Hey all! Chapter two is here, and for those of you following my other story, I'm going to work on Chapter seven soon! Let me know what you think in a review, and please show your love with a follow or a favorite!

* * *

Ayano sat in her playpen, crying for someone to notice her. Over the past year, she had grown accustomed to moving from house to house, clan to clan. After wailing for a few moments, she stood, holding onto the edge and increasing the volume of her cries to get her older sister's attention.

Ino placed her pillow over her head, hoping that Ayano would calm down after a few moments. It was her first time really watching the baby alone, and she didn't know how to handle the kid's tears. Ayano didn't want to eat or play, she didn't have a dirty diaper, refused to go down for a nap, and whenever Ino tried holding her, the crying just seemed to get worse. With a scowl, she went downstairs, roughly picking up the baby.

And just like that, the crying stopped. Ino was shocked, but it was a very welcome surprise. Ayano snuggled into her older sister, relieved at the comfort that had finally been given to her.

Ino looked down at the baby. "If you wanted to be held, why didn't you let me hold you earlier?"

There wasn't a response, as Ayano had become fascinated with her sister's shirt.

The dynamics of the household were very different now, especially between Ino and her father. He had become very short tempered with her. Ino wasn't sure how she should feel about it; of course she loved her little sister, and understood that babies were treated differently than teenagers, but she just couldn't understand her father getting upset with her for the littlest things. It pissed her off that whenever she said anything, even one word, he seemed to blow up. He said something about preparing her for the real world, but she felt as if he was simply taking out his frustration on her. She wasn't just on his hit list- she was his hit list! With a shake of the head, she turned to look at her sister.

Ino adjusted Ayano so that she was resting on her hip, when the doorbell rang.

Sakura stood on the doorstep. "Hey Ino, I wanted to know if you felt like hanging out right now? My parents are getting on my nerves, you know?"

Ino sighed. "I wish I could, but I'm babysitting right now." Ayano kept fumbling with the button on the pocket of Ino's shirt, trying to open it yet not successful in the least bit.

Sakura shrugged. "I don't mind staying here- anywhere but home is fine."

Ino stepped aside, letting her friend inside. "What is it this time?"

Sakura sat on the couch, placing her head in her hands. "My Dad just told me that my uncle was moving in, five days from now."

"Are you kidding me?! Your uncle gave five days notice?! What the Hell is wrong with him?"

Sakura teared up a little. "That's what I said, but my Dad sent me on a guilt trip, saying I was being a selfish brat, and that at least my uncle isn't doing drugs or anything. But it's not just him- he has three kids and a yappy little dog, too."

Ino shook her head. "I'm so sorry, Sakura, really. I'd love to help, but I don't know what you want me to do about it. I can't just walk in and kick your uncle out, you know?"

"I know that, but it's just, I wanted to vent. I don't hate him or anything, but I really don't want to live with him. He doesn't do anything, and that's why I'm so upset about this whole thing. He's so lazy, he smells, he breathes really loudly, and all his kids do all day is watch fucking Disney channel! God, it just pisses me off, and I just wish I was eighteen so I could move out already!"

"Yeah, having a new person in the house is a big adjustment, that's for sure. I hate it when they get into your stuff, destroy your clothes, whine all the time, and you have to babysit them for free. But sometimes, it can be worthwhile." Ayano smiled at her older sister, and Ino smiled back.

Sakura looked at them, slightly envious. Ino always had such a glamorous life, and she was beautiful, too. She was the heir to the Yamanaka clan- a well-known, respectable lineage, with much wealth to offer. There were opportunities presented to Ino that had never been presented to Sakura. Yeah, Ino had to work at the flower shop and babysit her sister, but to Sakura, it was better than having her parents harp on her for not achieving as much as others and dealing with the situation she was in now.

Sakura had always wanted a sister to play with. Her childhood was really lonely, up until she had met Ino. Truth be told, Sakura wanted an older sister, one who had the know-how on everything, and who could take her shopping, and someone who she could get her nails done with. Although Ino had very little patience, she was the epitome of what Sakura wanted in an older sister, and Sakura was envious of what Ayano had.

"You're lucky, Ino, to have someone who looks up to you so much. In fact, you have an entire clan that will look up to you one day, too."

Ino turned to her friend, compassion in her eyes. Sakura was always jealous of her, and truth be told, Ino knew she had a better life than the other girl. Yeah, there were a lot of responsibilities on her shoulders, but with those responsibilities came prestige and recognition from others. Suddenly, she had an idea.

"Sakura, are you generally free on weekend mornings? We have a shift available, if you want. You could make some extra money, and get out of your house for a little while."

Sakura mulled the thought over. "Yeah, that'd be great! What would I be doing, though?"

"Pretty much cashier work, flower arrangement, that sort of thing."

Sakura smiled. "I'd like that, thanks. When can I start?"

"This Saturday at eight in the morning."

"I'll be there! Thank you so, so much, Ino! I owe you big time!"

Ino smirked. "Yeah you do. You can make it up to me by changing Ayano's diaper."

Sakura's nose wrinkled. "I just remembered that I have somewhere to be..."

Ino narrowed her eyes. "No you don't! Get back here and change her diaper!" Sakura ran out the door. "Don't think I'm going to forget this, Sakura!" she yelled after her friend, before looking at her baby sister. "Come on, lets get you changed already." She sighed, scrunching up her nose and going to do just that.

* * *

Sasuke sighed, looking over his mission report as Ayano crawled around the living room. It was getting harder for him to concentrate with her loud babbling, and he tried valiantly to tune her out.

He had grown accustomed to her presence, but he still had a rather short temper on him. He knew babies cried a lot, but Ayano seemed to wail more often than other children he knew. It was annoying, and even if she wasn't crying, she always needed something and he always had to be the one to get it for her. On top of that, everyone was always on his case, saying that everything he did with her was wrong. Apparently, he held her wrong, fed her wrong, changed her wrong, put her to sleep wrong, bathed her wrong... All he ever heard these days were lists of complaints about his interaction with his sister, and that made his relationship with Ayano much more strained than they should be.

She walked over in that awkward stagger of hers, grabbing the paper from the table and placing it in her mouth.

"Ayano, no!" Sasuke pried her mouth open, looking at the damage done to the paper. He glared at her. "What the Hell was that for, you brat?! Never mind, you're going to bed, right now!"

Ayano began to cry, not liking it when he roughly lifted her and set her down in her crib. She stood up and reached out for him, but Sasuke shut the door behind him, leaving the baby alone in the darkness.

She couldn't comprehend her actions, or what had gone wrong. There was no indication that she had been in the wrong, but Sasuke had to be mad for some reason. She cried out, confused and upset, feeling absolutely alone in the darkness. Nothing happened, and she continued to wail, afraid that he had stopped loving her, and left her there to crumble in the dark.

Sasuke rubbed his temples, trying to find a way to mend the report. It was crinkled, and a corner of it was slightly soggy from the spit. He sighed, knowing that Minato would understand, but he didn't want to give the Hokage a report like this. On top of that, putting the baby in her crib did nothing to shut her up, but it made the crying worse. He knew it wasn't the best way to react, but he had no idea on how to calm her down after he had scolded her so harshly.

The front door opened, and Itachi shrugged off his rucksack. He looked to Sasuke, raising an eyebrow. "Why is Ayano so upset?"

Sasuke didn't want to admit his fault, so he shrugged and lied through his teeth. "She just started a little while ago. She's been asleep for the most of the night, though."

Itachi saw the messed up corner of Sasuke's report. "I see. And it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she ate your report?"

Sasuke faltered. "Absolutely nothing."

Itachi shook his head. "Sasuke, you can't just lock a child in their room for things like this. She's only a baby, and Minato-"

"Yeah, I know he'll understand, but that's not the point. The point is that Ayano can't keep her hands off of anything, and of all nights for Mom and Dad to go out, they had to do so the night before my report was due."

Itachi placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "It's ok to be frustrated, and it's better to admit that. Put yourself in Ayano's place- she doesn't understand what she did wrong or why you got upset, so try to calm-"

"Don't tell me to calm down, Itachi! She's a year old, and she's starting to understand the consequences of her actions. All I'm doing is enforcing rules."

Itachi shook his head. "Sasuke, I never got upset when you would throw tantrums all the time, but after fourteen years, it's getting a little old. Grow up, and stop being so bitter about this whole situation." He went upstairs, taking Ayano out of the crib in his parent's room.

She whimpered, snuggling into him and calming down slowly. Itachi sighed- he had better hopes about Sasuke, but lately, the kid had become an outright brat about this. Ayano could be a handful sometimes, but for the most part, she was a good baby. Ayano lifter her head to look up at Itachi, and said one of the few words that she knew.

"Mine?"

Itachi smiled. "Yes, I'm yours. Brother will always be yours." He tried to get her to say his name. "Ayano, say 'Itachi.'"

"Iiiiiiii," she said, looking up at him for approval.

He repeated his name. "'Itachi.'"

"Iiiiiit," she tried, only managing to add the 't' at the end.

He shook his head, before holding her closer to his chest. He took her to his room, laying on his bed and setting her on top of him. She crawled around, feeling his pillows and blankets with curiosity. Itachi sat up, and she tumbled down to lay in his lap. He pulled the blankets over her face, and saw her stiffen slightly. Pulling the blanket off, he smiled warmly at her, and she laughed. She sat up, grabbing his face and smooshing his cheeks together, laughing at the way his looked. He lifted her to be above his head, and she shrieked with glee, waving her arms and legs around. Itachi laughed and set her down, allowing her to cuddle with him for a moment.

Since her birth, the village and clan elders monitored Ayano carefully, waiting to see the first once of potential. It had been somewhat similar with Sasuke, but Ayano was miles apart from Sasuke at this age. Their conclusions so far had drawn them to say that she was an average baby, and for the Uchiha, average was below the standard.

Their grandfather had been especially harsh in his criticism, saying that daughters, unless talented and beautiful shinobi, placed a heavy burden on the clan. In general, only about one in ten Uchiha were females, so the misogynistic ideology wasn't hard to uphold. The only reason females had to be talented ninja was so that her family didn't have to pay a large dowry to her groom, and in general, many of the females in the clan had been emotionally destroyed by the high expectations.

Since she was a baby, Ayano didn't notice this at all, but Itachi was sure she would by the time she was enrolled in the Academy. There would be many rumors about her lineage, about her potential, and if she didn't exceed, there would be talk about her failure. Itachi could only wonder what her fate would be if she didn't meet the expectations of the village elders.

He shook his head, resolving that the issue was for another time, and another place. For now, he would simply enjoy his little sister's presence.

The doorbell rang, and he heard Sasuke answer. Footsteps came up the stairs, and a moment later, Shisui's wild hair popped into the doorway. He smiled, "Having fun there?"

Itachi smiled back, "I don't know, ask her."

Shisui sat on the edge of the bed, lifting Ayano from Itachi's chest. "Is Itachi spoiling you?"

Ayano laughed. "Mine!"

Shisui couldn't help but laugh. He had recently been engaged to a young woman in the clan, and now, having children was a serious consideration. Ayano had been the closest thing to a sister he had, but the age gap was so great that he wondered if fatherhood was similar to what he felt. Most of the clan thought Ayano was adorable, but many expected something more out of her. Itachi and Sasuke at this age had developed more intellectually and physically. It wasn't that Ayano wasn't bright, but she was not a prodigy.

"Yes, I'm yours kiddo." Ayano smiled, touching his hair in amazement. "Do you like my hair?"

There was a pause, then a shake of the head. Itachi chuckled slightly. "That's her response to everything; I don't think she knows what it means."

Shisui smiled, bringing the baby to sit in his lap. She took one of his hands, playing with his fingers and tuning them out. "I remember when Sasuke was this small, although it's kind of fuzzy."

Itachi sighed at the mention of his brother. "Same here."

Taking note of his friend's expression, Shisui asked "Did you two get into a fight?"

"Somewhat. Sasuke was annoyed that Ayano ruined his mission report, and he locked her in the room before I came home. When I tried to explain why it was wrong, he snapped at me. So, I took the little one up here and tried to give him some space."

Shisui nodded. "They're hard to understand sometimes."

"Who? Babies or teenagers?"

"Both. I guess we'll have some first hand experience of that ourselves, won't we?"

Itachi frowned, noting the way his friend had mentioned the idea of parenthood. In his mind, being an older brother was good enough, but as heir to the clan, he was expected to produce a next of kin, and before that, get married. "I'd rather you than me, no offense."

Shisui laughed. "Yeah, Miharu is a nice girl and all, but I'm not into the idea of getting married to her. Don't get me wrong, I think I might grow to love her, but still, I'm just kind of shaky on the fact that our parents put us together, not fate. What about you and Masumi?"

Itachi sighed. "Hard to say. Her older sisters were both married by this age, and I think she wants me to ask her hand soon. I'm just not sure about it; I'm still having to learn how to manage the clan, and Ayano and Sasuke need me. I don't think she's very happy with me right now."

"I think you're just dragging your feet and don't want to admit it." Itachi gave Shisui a half hearted glare, but the latter continued. "Itachi, the clan is so happy that you two found each other, and we just want what's best for you. Getting engaged doesn't mean you have to be married right away."

"I'm not sure I'm ready for that level of commitment yet."

"You've been dating her for seven years now. I'd say that's pretty committed."

Ayano whimpered in exhaustion, and both of the young men turned to look at her. She had her head bobbing from her shoulders, oscillating from sleepiness to being alert. Itachi went to hold her, but Shisui shook his head. "I've got her. I'm getting engaged next month, so by this time next year, I could be a father. Kind of weird to think about, huh?"

Itachi nodded. "Yeah, kind of." He sat back and watched as Shisui held Ayano, calming her down quickly and putting her to sleep within minutes. He was a complete natural, and from what Itachi knew about her, Miharu would be just as wonderful.

"Where is her crib?"

"In my parent's room." Shisui left, and Itachi thought about the evening. He and Masumi had gotten into an argument again, only for him to come home to distressed siblings. On top of that, he had to deal with all of his parents' bullshit, and the rest of the clan pinning their whines and complaints onto him. He was grateful that he no longer fulfilled missions with the village, and was full time with the police station- there was no way he would be able to complete missions and keep up with the rest of his life. Prodigy or not, he was human, and in desperate need of a break.

Shisui returned a few minutes later, smiling to himself. "She's so cute when she sleeps," he mumbled.

"Why is that?"

"Just the way her face scrunches up, and how she snuggles with the blankets."

Itachi smiled slightly. "Yeah, I guess so."

With a sigh, Shisui placed a hand on Itachi's shoulder. "I just came by to see what's up, so I'll get going now. Take care, 'Tachi."

Itachi waved slightly, not missing the use of the pet name. Very few people called him that, and they stopped doing so after Sasuke was born. With a growl of frustration, Itachi leaned his head back. Why was everyone trying to stick their nose in his business? It wasn't any of their concern what his social life was like, nor should it be. He was eighteen, an adult, and people needed to start treating him like one. Pulling out his phone, he called Masumi.

After a while she answered. "Hey, what's up?"

"I want to talk to you about something big."

She paused. "How big?"

"I'll leave that for you to decide."

"Itachi, are you..."

"I'm not proposing, but I might as well be."

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?!"

"Masumi, will you move in with me?"

He could hear her breathing accelerate. "Are you talking moving into your parents' house or..?"

"Yes, I want to get an apartment with you, if you'll accept my offer."

Nervousness set in out of nowhere. He'd been fighting a lot with her, so she did have reason to not move in with him. That, and her parents wouldn't be too happy with that, either. But before he could give up hope, he heard a happy giggle on the other end, "Of course!"

* * *

Minato, Kushina, and Kakashi sat in the dining room of the Namikaze-Uzumaki household, laughing at a story that Minato had just told about his former team. Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck in slight embarrassment, turning his glance over to the adjacent living room where Naruto, Ayano, and Norio were playing. He smiled at his student and his son playing with the baby girl.

Ayano had a small foam ball in her hand, and she threw it wildly at her brother, who caught it and feigned amazement. Ayano laughed, and turned to Norio, who stood there awkwardly. She smiled, pouncing on him and bringing him to the floor. Seeing that he was about to cry, Naruto pretended to be a horse, and Ayano and Norio both lept onto him, laughing excitedly.

Minato saw Kakashi watching the children, and he laughed softly. "Never did I imagine that we would have children the same age, but it's a welcome surprise."

Kakashi smiled behind his mask. "Yeah, I get what you mean."

Kushina took a sip of her wine, swirling it in her glass as she watched Naruto playing with the babies. "I hope that Ayano and Norio become friends, goodness knows she'll need a few."

Kakashi laughed mirthlessly. "Don't they all. How has Ayano been in terms of behavior? Is she reaching the tantrum phase yet?"

Minato thought about it. "Somewhat. She's a happy baby most of the time, but she gets flustered easily. The only times she was really bad were when she was teething and when she had a fever."

Kakashi nodded. "I see."

Kushina raised an eyebrow. "Why are you asking? Isn't Norio approaching the terrible two's?"

"Yeah, he is. I mean, he's better with his Mom than with me most days. It's hard for her to get out of the house without her having to take him. I just don't know why he does that, though. We spent equal amounts of time with him, but it seems he just doesn't like his Daddy, do you, buddy?"

Norio had toddled over to the adults, placing his head on Kakashi's leg and yawning. When Kakashi tried to pick him up, Norio pushed his father away, pouting angrily until he was set down.

Kushina laughed. "Don't take it personally- most likely he's just a big Mama's boy. Sasuke and Naruto were the same way at that age."

"Does Ayano take a preference to certain people?"

Minato nodded. "For the most part she doesn't mind meeting new people, but she's afraid of the Council members, which doesn't really surprise me." Kushina scowled, and even Naruto looked a little annoyed at the mention of them. Minato continued. "She really seems to like Sasuke and Ino, even though they're not necessarily all too enthusiastic with that."

Naruto chimed in. "They always complain about having to watch her, even more than Shikamaru does! I mean, it's not that bad, cause all she really does is play and sleep, huh?" He turned to Ayano, who was pulling at his jeans, and he lifted her up and kissed her face. She smiled, before placing her own version of a kiss on his cheek.

Kakashi laughed. "I can't say much about Ino, since I don't know her that well, but I can see Sasuke being a little more than harsh with her. He's not exactly patient, as we're all aware."

Kushina laughed. "I'm sort of surprised at the way he turned out. He used to be the sweetest little boy ever, and now he's a surly teenager. I blame Fugaku."

Minato sighed. "Kushina, you always blame Fugaku."

"Not my fault he needs to remove that stick up his ass," she took a large gulp of her wine, finishing the glass off and pouring more for herself.

Minato shook his head, before he felt Ayano patting his thigh. He smiled, picking her up and letting her snuggle into his chest. She yawned widely, her eyelids fluttering in an obvious display of exhaustion.

Kakashi saw this, and he turned to his own son, who was doing the same thing on the edge of the couch. "I should get going, it looks like the little ones are ready for bed." He walked over to Norio, lifting him off of the couch and placing the toddler's head on his shoulder. Norio whined, trying to push away from Kakashi but failing. "Say bye to Ayano, kiddo."

Norio pouted at his father. "No bye bye."

"Yes bye bye, it's bedtime soon."

Norio buried his face into Kakashi's shoulder. "Nooooo!" he whined, crying loudly and startling Ayano.

Minato walked over to Kakashi and Norio, "Say bye bye, sweetie."

Ayano thought for a moment before waving sleepily. She pointed to Kakashi, and he kissed the top of her head. Before he pulled away, she kissed his cheek, earning an affectionate stroke of her hair as Kakshi left.

Before he headed home he turned to Naruto. "Hey Naruto, I need you and the rest of the squad to watch Norio next Saturday night. I'm taking Kyomi to a movie for her birthday."

Naruto shrugged, "Alright, I'm down! But do you think Sasuke and Sakura are a good choice? I mean, yeah, Sasuke watches Ayano, but he's so pissy. And Sakura's nice and all, but she's not really a kid person, either."

Kakashi laughed. "Trust me, Norio is such a handful you'll need the three of you to watch him. Let me know by Thursday whether or not you can do it, ok?"

"Cool beans, Sensei. See you later!"

Kakashi waved, and Naruto quietly shut the door behind him. He went over to his little sister, taking her from his father and nuzzling their noses together. "I love you, 'yano, sweet dreams." Kissing her forehead, Naruto headed upstairs to his room and went to bed.

Minato looked to his daughter before sitting down in the large armchair in the living room. As he rocked back and forth, he could feel her getting heavier in his arms and falling asleep. Kushina came over with a blanket, tucking it around the baby, and stroking her cheek tenderly. She sat on the arm of the chair, leaning against Minato and watching her daughter nod off.

"I'm so glad they get along so well," she whispered.

Minato nodded, watching as Ayano finally gave up the last of her consciousness and fell asleep. He kept rocking, just to be sure that she was truly asleep, before heading upstairs to the nursery. He kissed her forehead before setting her down in the crib, watching as Kushina did the same. He pulled up the bar, securing it and walking out, dimming the lights to a soft glow.

* * *

Shikamaru knocked on the door of the Namikaze-Uzumaki home, thinking about how much of a drag the day was going to be. What a drag, why do I always have to be the one to come get her? Minato answered the door a few seconds later, and he smiled at the Nara.

"We're almost done getting her ready, do you want to come in?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "How long is it going to take?"

"Fifteen minutes, give or take."

Shikamaru groaned, before taking up the invitation. He sat down on the couch, half listening to Minato's relay of information about Ayano. Kushina came downstairs, carrying the baby who was wearing some frilly little dress. When she saw him, Ayano laughed, reaching out to Shikamaru, who took her and pat her on the head.

Minato and Kushina finished getting the diaper bag ready, and handed it to Shikamaru.

Minato came over, kissing Ayano on the top of her head gently. "Goodbye, angel. I'll see you soon, I love you." Ayano stuffed her hand in her mouth, not knowing what he had said, just that it was good. She laughed happily, not realizing he was saying goodbye to her.

Kushina stroked her cheek, and Ayano looked up at her, grabbing her hand and placing the fingers in her mouth. Kushina laughed using her other hand to tickle that baby's stomach. Ayano laughed, squirming slightly as Shikamaru adjusted his hold on her. Kushina laughed as well, kissing the baby's forehead. "See you later, sweetie pie. Mommy loves you."

Shikamaru turned heading out the door and waving goodby to the couple. They waved back, and Ayano saw this, whining as she realized that she was leaving. They smiled at her, continuing to wave, and she began sobbing hysterically. They closed the door, and her cries only became louder as Shikamaru hurriedly walked home.

People began staring at him, and he tried his best to calm his sister down. "It's ok, you'll see them soon enough. Just be quiet already, Ayano!"

She didn't calm down, and she threw her face into his shoulder hard. It didn't hurt him, since he had a high tolerance for pain, but there was a pause as Ayano processed what had just happened. Her face scrunched up, and her bottom lip quivered dangerously. Shikamaru panicked slightly, bouncing her and trying to avoid the tantrum that was to come.

"It's ok, that didn't hurt! You're fine, just... Umm... Crap, you're gonna cry, aren't you?"

And cry she did. Ayano's wails penetrated the general peace of the marketplace, and everyone turned to stare at her. Shikamaru walked over to a bech that was out of the way, rocking his sister and rubbing her back to soothe her. She didn't calm down in the least bit, and Shikamaru saw two shadows looming over him. He looked up and saw none other than Asuma and Kurenai with their daughter.

Asuma put out his cigarette, deciding to mess with his student a little. "What did you do to the kid? It sounds like you've been beating her!"

"No, Sensei, it's just, she didn't want to leave the Hokage's house, so she threw a fit and slammed her head into my shoulder, so I guess it hurt her and she started crying. It's not what it looks like!"

Asuma gave him a skeptical glance. "Right, and I suppose the police would believe that story. You know, come to think of it, isn't the police chief her father?"

"Sensei!"

Asuma laughed. "I was just messing with you, Shikamaru. I thought you'd be used to it after a year."

Shikamaru glowered at him. "That wasn't funny, Sensei."

"I thought it was hilarious."

Kurenai slapped her husband on the arm. "Stop being such an ass and help him already."

Asuma rolled his eyes, before taking Ayano from her brother. She gave a slight jolt at the feeling of being transferred, looking at Asuma shyly. He gave her a warm smile, rubbing her back and rocking her. She hesitated, before calming down and placing her head on his shoulder.

Shikamaru gaped, and Asuma gave him a bit of shit for it. "Close your mouth, you're catching flies."

"How did you do that?! She's been crying for fifteen minutes, and you just got her to calm down?!"

Asuma smirked. "You were freaking out, so naturally, Ayano freaked out as well. Babies aren't calm unless you're calm, huh Minami?"

The baby giggled at her father, reaching out and grabbing his beard. Asuma took her hand off of it, and shifted his stance so that his daughter and Ayano could see each other. Minami was happy to see someone her age so close to her, but Ayano was more fixated on the pockets of Asuma's flack jacket. Minami reached out, touching Ayano's cheek, and the latter jerked up, finally noticing the other.

They sat there for a moment, staring at each other, before Minami giggled and tried to grab onto Ayano. Not long afterwards, Ayano reach out to Minami as well, and they hugged in an awkward yet adorable baby way. It was really cute, and not even Shikamaru could say anything about it being troublesome.

Asuma sighed. "Hate to say this, but we have to get going. My sister will kill me if I'm any later for lunch, and I probably won't hear the end of it from Konohamaru as it is." He handed Ayano to Shikamaru, patting her head as he turned to leave. "Oh, Shikamaru?"

The teenager turned. "Yeah, what is it?"

His Sensei smirked. "It was hilarious to see you panicking." With that, he let out a hearty laugh and left with Kurenai and Minami, leaving Shikamaru there gaping once again. A small hand on his face brought him back to reality, and he pat Ayano's back.

"Let's get home before I get chewed out by Mom." Ayano smiled, shaking her head, and Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

Fifteen minutes later found the two of them home, and Yoshino was fuming. "Just where in the world have you been?! It doesn't take an hour and a half to go to get your sister!"

Shikamaru sighed. "She didn't have her bag packed when I got there, so that took about fifteen minutes, and then she started freaking out in the marketplace, so I tried to calm her down. She only stopped when Asuma and Kurenai came along, and then she wanted to play with Minami. Seriously, Mom, it wasn't my fault!"

Yoshino rolled her eyes. "I don't care if it was your fault or not, you're still grounded." She took Ayano, cooing fondly at the baby. "Isn't that right, cupcake?"

Ayano laughed, and though he knew it wasn't possible, he felt that the baby was laughing at him. With a sigh, he headed to his bedroom, throwing himself on the bed.

Shikaku came home three hours later, smiling at his daughter and holding her affectionately. "It's nice to have you back, how was your week and a half?"

Ayano laughed in response, and Shikaku couldn't help but laugh as well. Having Ayano had become a blessing in disguise for the clan, and especially for his family. She was a sweet baby, one that brought about a feeling of tenderness he hadn't felt in far too long. There weren't many young children in the Nara clan at the time as well, so naturally everyone gushed at Ayano and fawned over her constantly. The nursery was now cluttered with toys, books, and clothes for her, and his parents were overjoyed with having another grandchild.

"How was work?" Yoshino called from the kitchen.

"Fine, busy. Nothing far from the usual. Is dinner almost ready?"

"Yes, it'll be about fifteen minutes. Get Shikamaru to set the table, it's part of his punishment."

"Punishment? What are you harping on him for now?"

"I'm not harping on him! Do you know how long it took for him to pick up Ayano?! It was an hour and a half! It doesn't take an hour and a half to get to Minato and Kushina's, pick up the baby, and bring her here! He had me worried half to death about..."

Yoshino paused, not wanting to contemplate what she was about to say. The Council had outright threatened to take Ayano as their own a few months prior, and the threat lingered on her consciousness day in and day out.

Shikaku saw her hesitation, and understood what it was about. He walked over, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, they won't take her. She has six clans and several other shinobi who will readily protect her from them."

Yoshino nodded, looking sadly at Ayano, who was blissfully unaware of the danger she was in. The baby girl had her head on Shikaku's shoulder, sucking on a kunai...

...Wait, sucking on a kunai?! Yoshino yanked the weapon from the baby, causing Ayano to burst into tears. She turned to her husband, holding the knife threateningly in his face. "How many times have I told you to put your goddamn weapons where she can't get to them?!"

Shikaku winced. "Calm down, dear, you're upsetting the baby."

"What's upsetting is that she could have cut her tongue off or worse! Am I the only one with common sense in this house?! Am I?!"

Shikamaru came downstairs, yawning. "What's going on?"

Yoshino held the knife out to her son. "Is this yours?! Because if it is, I'm going to use you for target practice!"

"Jeez Mom, calm down! Nothing happened, and that's what matters, right?"

Yoshino's eyes narrowed, and she put the knife in the locked cabinet. Slowly, she forced her heart rate to slow down, taking in long, deep breaths. When she was calm, she took Ayano, kissing the baby's forehead and rubbing her back. "I'm so sorry, sweetie; Mommy didn't mean to scare you. It's ok now."

"What about me?! You nearly cut my face with the kunai!"

Yoshino smirked at her son. "You deserved it," she said, laughing when Shikamaru grumbled about her being 'troublesome.'

Ayano was placed into her high chair, and a bib was draped around her neck. She gave her mother a curious look, before scrunching her nose stubbornly at the food in front of her. Yoshino sighed, trying to force the spoon into the baby's mouth. Ayano smacked it out of her hand, and Yoshino became annoyed. "Just eat your puréed spinach, baby."

Ayano wailed, and the spoon was shoved into her mouth. She spit it out every time that Yoshino attempted to feed it to her. Shikaku sighed, "Maybe you should feed her something else?"

"No, she needs to eat her vegetables, whether she likes it or not!"

"There are some sweet potatoes in the fridge, she'll eat those."

"Shikaku, shut up! She needs to eat something that had iron in it! I don't want her becoming anemic before she reaches the age of two, you know."

Shikaku sighed, warming up the sweet potatoes anyways. He took a spoon out from the drawer, holding it in front of Ayano. The baby instantly ate it, and Yoshino complained about how no one ever listened to her. Shikaku ignored her, feeding Ayano two thirds of the container before she stopped eating. He wiped her face, which was orange all around her cheeks and mouth and even a bit on her forehead. She giggled, and reached out for her brother.

Shikamaru groaned half heartedly, lifting the baby into his arms. She cooed, snuggling into his shoulder. He glanced at the clock, "You've got three hours to go until you're allowed to sleep." She ignored him, her eyelids fluttering closed. He sighed, taking her up to the nursery while his parents cleaned up the dinner dishes. Setting her on the carpet, he played with her for an hour.

Ayano crawled into her brother's lap, sprawling herself out and trying to fall asleep. Shikamaru poked her side, earning a giggle. He kept doing so, before lightly tickling her. She squealed, rolling around on the floor as he continued the torture, and Shikamaru laughed along with her. He stopped after a little while, not wanting her to pee in her diaper. The little tuft of hair the Ayano had was messed up, spiking up wildly. Shikamaru laughed, picking her up and kissing her cheek.

"You may be troublesome at times, but at least you're cute to make up for it." Ayano had exhaustion written all over her features, and Shikamaru decided that putting her to sleep early would probably be for the best. He was able to set her down in minutes, and he turned off the light and shut the door quietly behind him.***

Ayano squealed as she grabbed Akamaru's fur, laughing at the whimper the dog gave. The poor boy whined a little more loudly, looking around for some assistance. Kuromaru laughed, shaking his head at the other dog's misfortune. Deciding to help Akamaru out, he walked over to Ayano, using the back of her onesie to carry her. She giggled, briefly enjoying the sensation of flying, before she was placed on her stomach.

Rolling around, she smiled up at Kuromaru, who licked her cheek. She grabbed his face, laughing at him when Kiba walked into the room and began to chastise her.

"Ayano, play nice!" His sister turned her head, her bottom lip coming out into a pout. Suddenly, she started crying, and Kuromaru nuzzled her to try to cheer her up. It didn't work, and Kiba held her and tried to bounce her.

Tsume walked into the room, irritation on her face. "What did you do to your sister?"

"Nothing, Ma, I swear! She just started crying!"

Tsume took the baby, rubbing her back gently and speaking to her in soft tones. Kiba grumbled something about being the middle child, and she glared at her son. "I'd be quiet if I were you, boy."

Kiba gave her an exasperated look, and she pointedly ignored him. Ayano had calmed down, and was handed to her brother. "Take your sister to training today, I have things to do."

"But Mom, I can't watch her when I'm supposed to be training!"

Tsume glared at him. "If you don't want me to beat the man out of you, you'd better do as I say, boy."

Kiba sighed. "Fine." He grabbed her diaper bag and left the house with Akamaru. It only took ten minutes to reach the training ground, but he was still late.

Shino pointed this out. "You're late, Kiba." He looked down to his sister. "And why did you bring Ayano?"

Kiba scoffed. "My Mom told me to, so I don't want to hear it from you, bug boy."

Kurenai intervened. "Guys, don't fight right now." She took Ayano into her arms, giving the baby an affectionate smile. "Actually, I think this could work for today's training."

Hinata spoke for the first time. "What do you mean, Kurenai Sensei?"

Kurenai smiled, slinging the diaper bag over her shoulder. "What I mean is this: we're going to simulate a hostage situation. Even though we all know I wouldn't do anything to harm Ayano, you have to pretend that I will. The three of you are going to have to rescue her, starting right now."

With a gust of wind, Kurenai disappeared with Ayano, and her team freaked out. Shino turned to Kiba. "Thanks for putting our sister in danger, I really appreciate it."

Kiba snarled. "Don't talk to me that way! It's not like I purposely told Kurenai Sensei 'Hey, why don't you take my sister hostage, that'd be fun!'"

The two of them went back and fourth, and Hinata tried to pull them apart. "Guys, please don't fight." They ignored her, shoving each other. "Guys. Please stop fighting." Her words were once again unheard. "The longer we stay here fighting, the more likely Ayano is to be in danger!" Hinata shrieked, fury coming out through her voice.

Kiba and Shino gaped. "Hinata?"

She was fuming. "I know I'm not one to get angry, but if someone puts my clan or my sisters in danger, I'm not going to let them get away with it. Stop dicking around and act like grown ninja for once!"

Shino's eyebrows rose, and Hinata realized what she had just said. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"It's ok, Hinata, you're right." Kiba said, looking over to her.

"We need to come up with a strategy as to how we're going to find Kurenai and Ayano, and how we can attack without bringing harm to the baby."

Hinata activated her Byakugan, scanning the forest. "They're in a cave about a kilometer away. There's too much fog surrounding it for me to see properly."

Kiba nodded, "Yeah, I can smell them."

They quickly formulated a plan and set out to rescue their sister.

Meanwhile, Kurenai sat in the cave, trying to calm Ayano down and keep her quiet. It confused her as to how a generally sweet and quiet baby became so fussy. Of course, Minami probably did the same thing when she and Asuma left the home. Still, it was going to be hard to pull this off correctly with a crying baby. With a sigh, she placed a mild sleeping jutsu over Ayano, watching the child finally quiet down and fall asleep.

She heard a noise towards the mouth of the cave, and pulled out a kunai, taking her position in front of the baby. They wouldn't really come at me with a frontal attack, would they? I thought I trained them better than that. With a sigh, she scanned the area, noticing that a fog had started to form inside.

It was intelligent to use a fog, or possibly a gas, to obscure enemy vision, especially considering that Hinata has the Byakugan to see through it at close range. However, did they consider the repercussions of their actions? What if the gas harms the hostage?

A swarm of insects surrounded her, and she evaded, only to realize that Kiba and Akamaru were lying in wait to attack her. Does that mean that Hinata is the one getting Ayano out? In that case... Kurenai disappeared in a flurry of leaves, leaving Kiba to stand there. He turned to Shino.

"This plan of yours had better work."

"Trust me, it will." The clone dissolved into a mass of insects, and Kiba followed the sounds of battle.

Kurenai's hunch had only been partly correct- she hadn't expected that Shino would use his bugs as a clone to distract her, but it was a sound tactic. Hinata had been the one sent to get Ayano, but was lying in wait in the cavern, striking Kurenai in surprise and shutting off a few of her chakra points in the process. By the time that had happened, Shino had been able to enter the fray, and Kurenai was faced with two opponents once again.

With part of her chakra cut off, it would be difficult to pull off any genjutsu, but she would try anyways. She finished performing the hand seals, but was struck from behind by Kiba and Akamaru. With no time to spare, she was able to use a replacement jutsu, and found that the three man squad had succeeded their mission, and rescued their hostage. She smiled, walking towards the entrance of the cave and seeing the three of them checking over their younger sister.

"She'll be alright, it's just a mild sleeping jutsu."

Kiba turned, snarling slightly. "I thought you said you weren't going to harm her."

Kurenai sighed. "I did, and I kept to my word. Kiba, you have to realize that if I really were the enemy, there could have been much worse done to her, especially if the client is a dignitary or nobleman. I know it must be difficult for you to understand right now, since it was your sister who was the victim, but as a ninja you must see past your personal ties and focus solely on the objective."

Kiba turned his head back to Ayano, who was in Hinata's arms sleeping peacefully. Yes, much worse could have happened, and yes, what Kurenai said was true, but nobody was allowed to fuck with his baby sister.

He didn't realize he had voiced his thoughts until Hinata spoke. "I agree with you, Kiba."

Ayano's eyelids began to flutter, and she whimpered at the chill of the air. Shino took off his jacket, handing it to Hinata to be used as a makeshift blanket. He had been the most worried in the group for Ayano, as she was his only sibling. Though she may have preferred the company of others over him, he still felt a very entrenched love for his baby sister. She was one of the few people who didn't avoid him or treat him like a freak, and he absolutely adored her.

His stoic appearance may have never given any indication of his true feelings, but they were there. Ever since he first saw her in the hospital, he was wrapped around her tiny finger, as we're his parents. Her blue grey eyes saw him for who he truly was at heart, a big softie who just needed to be shown tenderness in return. When she stayed at the Aburame estate, she hardly ever lifted a finger, as Shino never let her walk, or hold her own bottle or feed herself- he did everything and anything for her. Though his parents had never mentioned anything of it, Shino was very much aware of the Council and its interest in Ayano, and if it ever came down to it, he would kill every one of them if they ever laid a hand on her.

Hinata shared similar feelings, but to a lesser degree. The past few months, she had pestered her father day in and day out on how to conduct civil discourse with the Council and the Hokage, realizing that as the heiress of the Hyuga clan, she could make a difference in the fate of her sister. Though she was a calm, kind person, Hinata would be damned if she let anyone take advantage of her sisters or clansmen. She was determined that she would protect Ayano from the corruption of the Council at any cost necessary.

Kiba, unlike his teammates, was completely out of the loop in terms of Ayano's situation, being too dense to take notice. However, if he had been made aware of it at any point, he would be far too rash about handling it. As it was, he was trying to hold himself back from attacking Kurenai for using Ayano as a hostage. He tried to calm himself down by petting behind Akamaru's ears and watching as Ayano played with the strings of Hinata's jacket. She giggled when she saw her older sister, playfully reaching for Hinata's zipper.

"No, Ayano, that's not yours," Hinata chided softly. Ayano tried to lean up to grab it, but Hinata stopped her, taking the baby's hand and giving it a few soft kisses. Ayano laughed loudly, squealing at the affection she loved to receive. Kiba smiled, putting himself in the baby's line of sight.

"Hey there, squirt. Have a nice nap?" Ayano smiled, shaking her head. The small group around her laughed, and Kiba gently kissed the top of her head. She giggled, reaching out to him and cooed happily when he held her.

Kurenai checked the time. "It's about three thirty now, would you guys like to get some dango?"

Hinata smiled. "That sounds wonderful. Thank you, Kurenai Sensei."

The woman smiled, handing the diaper bag over to Shino and making small talk with her team as they went to the local dango shop.

* * *

Neji sighed to himself, pointedly ignoring his teammates who were currently making idiots of themselves in front of his cousin. Lady Hyuga had invited them inside of the house for tea, seeing as how they had just come home from training, and they had accepted.

Hanabi walked in, poking Neji repeatedly on the shoulder. "Big brother, big brother, big brother, big brother,"

He sighed, trying to be as calm as possible around his annoying younger cousin. "What is it, Hanabi?"

She smiled deviously. "Will you let me braid your hair? I'm so boooorrrreeeeddddd!" Tenten laughed, listening in on their conversation, and Neji glared at his friend.

Neji scoffed. While was always the victim of Hanabi's birdbrained escapades, he would never know. "No. Find some other way to entertain yourself."

She plopped into his lap. "Pretty please with a cherry on top? It'll be super pretty, I promise!"

Maybe reasoning with her would work. "Hanabi, I'm a boy. I don't want my hair to be pretty."

"But it's just there with nothing done to it! It's so boring!"

"That's the way I like it. Please, get off of my lap now."

She shook her head, forcing her weight to become dead. Neji gave her a stern look. "Hanabi, knock it off." She turned around, giving him a wicked smile, before attempting to tickle him. She was perched on his lap, prodding his sides and laughing with glee, while he sat there shaking his head. "Hanabi, I'm not ticklish."

She pouted up at him. "But you have to be if you're human!"

He rolled his eyes. "No, I don't. But if you insist on these games..." Neji swiftly ran his fingers up Hanabi's sides, causing her to burst into laughter. She squirmed, trying to push his hands away, and fell off of his lap. Just before she hit her head on the floor, Neji caught her, plopping her onto the ground.

Hanabi pouted, furrowing her eyebrows together. "That's not fair- you're bigger and stronger than me!"

Neji smirked slightly. "You did the same thing to me, I see nothing unfair about it."

The young girl continued to pout as her mother walked in. "Hanabi, dear, your face will freeze that way."

"But Mom! He tickled me and I fell off of his lap! Tell him that's not fair!"

Lady Hyuga sighed. "Hanabi, you do this almost every day. Let Neji and his friends be, I need help preparing dinner." She turned to her nephew, giving him a warm smile. "Did you want me to take Ayano?"

Neji turned to his teammates, who shook their heads. Lady Hyuga smiled, setting the tea tray down and pulling a whiny Hanabi out of the room.

Lee turned to Neji. "Your cousin is absolutely adorable. She is the epitome of youth!"

Tenten sighed. "She's a baby, it can't get any more youthful than that!"

Lee laughed, tossing Ayano in the air. The baby giggled with delight, as did Lee, but Neji stiffened. "Lee, don't throw her like that, it's not safe!"

Lee raised a brow. "But Neji, she liked it!"

Scoffing, Neji rolled his eyes and picked Ayano up. She smiled, snuggling into him and placing a hand on his cheek. He responded by patting her on the head, sliding his hand from the crown of her head to rest on her back.

Tenten smiled. "She really seems to like you, Neji." She had always thought guys with kids were cute, and since her crush was the one holding a baby, it was automatically cuter. Her crush on Neji was apparent to her in the academy, but he had never noticed her, being too busy focusing on being the top student in the class. When they were placed on the same team, she was elated, and her feelings grew for him as her infatuation grew to be loving feelings. So maybe she was only fourteen, but the phrase 'genin sweethearts' existed for a reason, right?

He shrugged, "She likes just about everyone." He noticed Tenten staring in adoration at Ayano, and he held the baby out to her. "You can hold her, if you like."

Tenten smiled, taking the baby happily. Ayano stared up at her, the blue grey eyes giving her a skeptical glance, before the baby's face lit up with a smile. Tenten absolutely gushed, "You are just the cutest baby around, aren't you?!"

Neji rolled his eyes. _I will never understand why women lose their minds at the sight of a baby. Maybe it's motherly instinct?_ He shook his head, confused as to why his normally rational teammate would act this way.

Ayano saw Neji, and she reached out for him, whining to get his attention. She loved being held by him, he always smelled so wonderful to her. Not only that, but he was so warm, and his shoulder was comfortable and his voice was very soothing.

Neji shook his head. "Not now, Ayano, other people want to hold you."

Her face scrunched up, bottom lip sticking out and quivering. Wanting to avoid a tantrum, Neji apologized to Tenten, and took his younger cousin. Ayano cooed, placing her head on his shoulder and gripping his shirt.

Tenten smiled. "She's so cute! You almost look more like her brother than her cousin."

Neji shrugged. "In a way, I guess I am. God knows she needs a sane one in her life."

Lee raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Sasuke and Naruto are good older brothers, are they not?"

Neji shook his head. "Naruto adores her, so in that sense he's a good brother for her, but he's so irresponsible and unorganized that I wouldn't leave him alone with her for too long. Sasuke is the opposite; he's responsible and rational, but he doesn't have any patience and he takes it out on her."

Tenten nodded. "But what about Shikamaru and Choji? They're probably somewhere in between Sasuke and Naruto."

Neji sighed. "Shikamaru's too lazy and Choji spoils her too much."

"And Kiba and Shino?"

"Both of their houses are unsanitary and infested, be it because of the bugs or the dogs. It's evident to both myself and the clan that the best environment for Ayano is with the Hyuga clan."

Hiashi walked in. "I couldn't agree more, but getting full custody of her will prove to be difficult." He took Ayano from Neji, and when she saw him, she started crying. He rolled his eyes, boucing her in an attempt to make the tears stop. He muttered to himself. "The other clans have spoiled and coddled her far too much, and it makes it so much harder to live with her. At this point, she should be able to self soothe when she's put down to sleep."

He looked down at the baby, who was trying to push herself away from him. He ignored her, giving his nephew and his friends a curt nod before going into the nursery and sitting down in the rocking chair. Ayano screamed, and out of irritation, Hiashi shoved the pacifier in her mouth. She continued to cry, and he tried to rock her to sleep, but the stubborn baby just didn't want to take a nap. Hiashi rubbed his temples, trying to evade the migraine her cries were causing.

"You need to go to sleep, child," he told her, watching her bottom lip stick out in a pout.

Ayano's eyebrows furrowed together, "No!"

Hiashi raised an eyebrow, before giving her a firm look. "I don't know who taught you that word, but your bratty attitude ends here." He gave her a swat to the rear, and saw her thought process flash across her face. Her eyes widened in shock, then filled with tears as she recognized the pain. She hyperventilated, and Hiashi groaned in irritation.

"You are so hard to live with now," he grumbled, rubbing her back and rocking her once again. Her breathing was far too quick for his preference, and he tried hushing her up. Slowly, the exhaustion caught up with her, and she began to snuggle into his chest. Her cries turned to whimpers, which were now soft in volume. Glancing down, Hiashi saw his youngest daughter trying to keep her eyes open, but she was practically asleep. He kept rocking her, and a short while later, she was asleep. He set her down in the crib, pulling a blanket over her so that the draft wouldn't wake her up.

"Is Ayano asleep, Daddy?" Hiashi turned to the door, seeing Hanabi standing ther innocently.

He smiled slightly. "Yes, she is."

Hanabi gave him a wide grin in return, and she shuffled over to him, hugging his waist tightly. Hiashi held her close to him, relieved that at least his middle child was both well behaved and close to him.

"Will you rock me too?" She looked up at him with wide eyes, and he couldn't help but to say yes. He sat down in the rocking chair, and Hanabi climbed to sit on his lap, snuggling into his chest as he rocked the chair.

"I haven't done this with you in a long time," he mused. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Do you miss doing this?"

Hanabi nodded, yawning slightly. "I miss being the baby of the family sometimes."

Hiashi nodded, drawing her closer to him as he felt her shiver slightly. Hanabi yawnd again, and he chuckled softly. "Looks like you might need a nap as well."

Hanabi's face scrunched up. "Only if I can sleep in your bed with you."

"Now why would you want to do that?"

"Cause. I miss the times when we used to snuggle under the blankets together, you, me, sissy, and Mommy."

He sighed, noting the sadness in her voice. "I do too, but things are different now."

"But they don't have to be, Daddy!"

Hiashi paused for a moment, trying to think of how to explain the situation to an eight year old. "Sometimes, sunshine, they do. As you grow up, you'll realize that things sometimes happen, even if you don't want them to. Some people in this world are mean and cruel, and they put you in a situation you don't want to be in."

Hanabi looked up, determination on her small face. "Well, nobody's allowed to do that to my Daddy, or I'll beat them up!"

Hiashi couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh, Hanabi, how you brighten up my day sometimes."

She beamed at him, yawning again, and he carried her to her room- something he hadn't done in far too long. He pulled back the blankets, setting her down gently in the plush, pillow covered bed. He kissed her forehead, "Sleep well, my ray of sunshine." She mumbled a response, and he shut the door behind him.

He walked into the main foyer, seeing that Hinata had come home from training and was now speaking amicably with Neji and his team. He smiled slightly to himself, before walking into the kitchen. His wife gave him a kind smile, one similar to Hinata's, and served him a cup of tea. They made small talk for an hour before Ayano woke up, with Lady Hyuga going to get the baby.

She looked to Tenten and Lee, "Would you two like to say for dinner?"

Tenten smiled. "Yes, that'd be nice. Thank you for offering, Lady Hyuga."

Lee saluted her. "Lady Hyuga, your offer only proves that you are as kind as you are beautiful! I shall accept!"

She laughed a little, setting the table and pulling up the high chair to be next to her. Hanabi stumbled into the kitchen, her hair messy from taking a nap. "Good afternoon, dear. How was your nap?"

Hanabi pouted. "I didn't want to take one."

Lady Hyuga kissed he cheek. "Oh sweetheart, try not to be so grumpy. I do hate to see my daughters so unhappy."

Hanabi sighed, helping her Mom set the table for dinner. Soon, everyone except for Ayano was served, as Lady Hyuga gave the baby a small bowl of green beans. Ayano sniffed the food, scrunching her nose and turning away from the offered spoon. Lady Hyuga tried again, nearly forcing the food into the baby's mouth. When Ayano openly cried, the spoon was shoved into her mouth, along with the detested green beans.

Hiashi sighed. "I don't know why she's such a picky eater. I blame the Uchiha."

"Dear, you can't always blame the Uchiha. In fact, you and Fugaku are so similar in nature that its almost comical."

Tenten tried to disguise her laugh as a cough, and drew the attention over to her. She acted as if nothing had happened, "You're a wonderful cook, Lady Hyuga."

The latter smiled. "Thank you, Tenten dear. What types of food does your mother make?"

Tenten rubbed the back of her head. "Mostly things that she can't mess up. She's not all that great at cooking, you see."

Lee laughed. "I see. So that is why you always want to go out to eat!"

Tenten smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, it is."

Hiashi sipped his tea stiffly. "So have you yourself learned how to cook? It is customary that the wife be a homemaker, after all."

Tenten bit her tongue. "I feel differently, Lord Hyuga. With all due respect, I think men and women are equal in all aspects, and if I do get married, I want to marry a man who respects that."

He raised an eyebrow. "It is tradition that women obey their husbands, is it not? That didn't come out of nowhere- men are simply stronger than women by nature."

Tenten faltered. "Physically, men may have the advantage, but from what I've heard, childbirth is brutal, and I think it takes a lot of strength to put up with that."

Hiashi narrowed is eyes- never had a young girl talked to him in such a manner and inadvertently insulted his beliefs. He would have to talk to Neji about it later, he supposed. He really didn't want to have this discussion at the dinner table. "Yes, childbirth is indeed painful, but I do not believe that this is a discussion for the dinner table."

Tenten shut up, afraid that she had made him mad.

Ayano made a loud shriek, and everyone turned to look at her. She giggled, scooping a large serving of green beans and throwing it onto the floor. Knowing that the attention was now on her, she took another handful and smeared it onto the tray, laughing at the expression on Hiashi's face. He took the food away from her, scowling at how much of a mess she made. Lady Hyuga, on the other hand, laughed softly, pulling the rambunctious baby into her lap. "What are we to do with you?"

Ayano laughed, grabbing her mother's hair. "Mine! Mine! Mine!"

Lady Hyuga took the hair out of her daughters hand, giving the child a carrot to suck on. Ayano started gumming it, growing bored quickly. Hinata spoke up. "I can take her so you can finish your dinner, Mom."

Her mother smiled. "You're such a sweet girl, but I'll handle the little one." She stood, carrying the baby with her as she heated up some quinoa with steamed vegetables.

Hiashi gave Ayano a sippy cup with milk, and after a few sips, she threw it on the floor, making a huge mess. Hiashi glared at her, setting the baby in her high chair and mopping up the spilt milk. Hanabi looked to her little sister. "Why do you always make a big mess?"

Ayano spluttered, making noises and slamming her hands onto the tray. She started vocalizing, singing a little song, and dancing to her own composition. Tenten gushed. "Aww, does she do this a lot?"

Neji sipped at his tea. "Are you asking about making a mess or singing?"

"The singing and dancing."

He nodded. "Lately yes. She seems to get excited by the sound of her own voice."

"But isn't that with all people in general? Gai Sensei has it down to an art."

"That is because Gai Sensei is revolutionary and a genius!"

"Oh can it, Lee! It's not cute coming from a fourty year old man!"

Lee pouted, eating his dinner glumly.

Neji sighed, allowing his teammates to stay for dinner may have been a bad choice. "I suppose so. Ayano is one of the few small children I know, so I'm afraid I can't answer for everyone. She seems to be more responsive to music than I believe most children are, though."

Hiashi nodded. "Yes, she is. She's also much more stubborn than any child I know of." Ayano gave him a wide mouthed smile, and he shook his head in exasperation. He took her out of the high chair, setting her on his hip and bouncing her.

The rest of dinner was quiet, and Tenten and Lee left shortly after the meal had finished. Ayano had just had her bath, and was now winding down. Or at least, she was supposed to be.

Neji sat in an armchair, reading over a mission report, when he felt the baby bump into his shins. He glanced down, seeing her holding a book, and she held it out to him. With a sigh, he picked her up, setting her in his lap and opening the book. He read the story over and over until Hiashi came to put her to bed.

"Goodnight, Ayano."

She babbled, leaning in and placing her open mouth on his cheek as her way of kissing. He smiled slightly as the baby went off to bed, before another little person had perched herself on his lap.

"Yes, Hanabi. What is it?"

She handed him a comb and a hairtie. "Will you braid my hair, pretty please?"

He nodded, and she settled down on his lap. He combed the tangles out of her wet hair gently and began weaving her hair into a braid. She talked about nothing of importance, and he listened intently. What she said as he finished the braid surprised him.

"I love Ayano, but since she's been here, everything's gone wrong."

His eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that, Mommy and Daddy are always stressed out and they don't have time for me anymore. Everyone in the clan looks at her weird, and you and big sister are always having to look after her, too. I feel like something weird is happening, but no one will tell me."

Neji hesitated, before turning her head to face him. How was he to address this? "Hanabi, you know that Ayano is a special baby, right?"

Hanabi nodded, and he continued. "Since she's so special, we have to make sure that she's taken extra good care of. So that's why people are acting the way they are when she's around. Don't worry about anything, alright?"

Hanabi had tears in her eyes. "Promise me nothing bad is going to happen to us." she mumbled, hugging him tightly and crying into his chest.

Neji hugged her back. "I promise." He rubbed her back, allowing her to cry it out. When she finished, he nudged her towards her room. "Let's get you tucked in, ok?"

Hanabi sighed dramatically, trudging off to her room with Neji following her. She got under the covers, snuggling into the blankets and pillows as Neji dimmed the light. He walked over to the bed, pulling the sheets around her and kissing her forehead. "Goodnight, Hanabi. Sleep well."

She nodded, and he turned to leave. Before he exited, he heard her cry out his name. He walked back into the room, "Did you need something?"

Hanabi shook her head. "I know you're my cousin, but I just wanted to say that I love you like a big brother."

Neji smiled softly, "And I love you like a younger sister. Goodnight." He shut the door quietly behind himself and headed to his room.

He looked at the picture of his parents, giving it a sad look. They had been so happy, and they were one of the few couples in the clan who had married out of love rather than politics. His mother, with her gentle smile and a light in her eyes, stood next to his father, who had a stern face that was brightened by clear happiness. He mused on the first few years of his childhood, spent happily with his parents- they had been the shining example of a happy family. His memories of his father grew hazier as he grew older, but he had a few precious momentos, and several pictures and letters that his father had written.

He was able to remember his mother very well, and the pain of her passing was still fresh. She had been beautiful, and her lovely name, Hikari, was what he would name his daughter if he had one. Her light brown hair had always been silky, and the scent of her shampoo made her smell like the candies she had always loved. Her eyelashes had fanned her orchid-tinted eyes, and her smile was always radiant and glowing, even on her death bed. Her parting words to Neji, three days before her actual death, would always ring in his mind.

_Create your own destiny, and find a woman who loves you as much as I do._

He had held her hand in the hospice for the next three days, sobbing when she had finally passed. He had known her pain was over, and that she no longer needed to fight the disease, but he was too selfish to just let her go. Why would fate ever take someone so wonderful, so kind, and so loving from this world? Why hadn't it taken the people who caused pain, and who stole the lives of others? _Why you, Mom?_

A knock at his door brought his attention away from the picture of his family. "Come in," he murmured, and Hinata shyly made her way inside. Neji was surprised to see her, but nonetheless invited her in. She walked over to him, fidgeting nervously and twiddling her thumbs as always.

"I... Need your advice on something..." She sat next to him on the ledge by his bay window, taking a deep breath and continuing. "You probably already know, but the village elders have an interest in Ayano, and I don't think that their intents are pure."

Neji sighed as he realized he couldn't just play it off as he had with Hanabi. "Hinata, I know you're concerned about her well being, but you have to trust your father and the clan elders on this one."

"That's the thing- even they are afraid of what the council will do. It's obvious that someone wants to use Ayano as a tool, and I don't want her to have that fate. I want to protect her from such an awful life of being manipulated, and I just... Don't quite know how..."

Her eyes had filled with tears, and she felt Neji pull her into his chest. He stroked her hair, letting her cry onto his shoulder just as he'd done with Hanabi. After a few moments, her cries began to slow down, and he spoke. "I know about all of that, and you're doing the best thing that you can right now. Your knowledge of civil discourse right now is far beyond that of anyone our age, and it will help you when the council finally decides to make their move. You don't need to worry so much, Ayano is well looked after. She has six clans and the Hokage as family, remember? It will be difficult for them to take her without a fight- a fight that they won't win. I hate to admit it, but the Uchiha care about her just as much as our clan does. She'll be fine, so just focus on being there for her when things get hard, alright?"

Hinata gave him a smile that faltered slightly, hugging him tightly. "Th-thank you so much, Neji. You're such a wonderful cousin. I wish that you were my brother sometimes..."

There it was again, the reference of him being a brother like figure to the main branch. He hugged Hinata back, not sure of himself. "You don't want that, I'm far too unworthy of being anyone's brother."

Hinata laughed a little. "You're perfect to me. I know that the reason you came to live here was so painful, but I'm just happy that you did."

He mulled the thought over for a moment and placed his chin on top of her head. Was he happy? Of course he loved his mother, and he would give anything to have her back. But now, he was given the chance to have a new sort of family, one that loved him just as much as his own had. His relationship to the main house had improved significantly, and he now referred to the manor as his home. He smiled slightly, finding it easy to think about how me had come to care four his aunt and uncle,and how his cousins had easily become more like his little sisters. "I'm happy I came here, too."

Hinata smiled, pulling away from him and exiting the room. "Goodnight, brother. Sweet dreams."

He gave her a small wave. "Goodnight. Sweet dreams." That night, all Neji could think about was that he had become the de facto older brother to three amazing girls, and how he was perfectly content with that thought.

* * *

Ayano ran around the room in her frilly little dress, loving the amount of attention she received. It was her birthday party, and though she didn't know what the occasion was, she was still prancing about merrily as her mothers fawned over her. There were over fifty people there to celebrate, and Ayano couldn't help but be excited at the thought of everyone gushing at her antics.

She ran over to Minami and Norio, who had also come with their parents. She grabbed Norio's hat, eagerly shouting "Mine!"

Norio pouted. "No, mine!" He yanked it away from the other baby, who fell on her butt with ready eyes. Minami was confused by it all, and she toddled off to find one of her parents.

Seeing that Norio wasn't going to give her the hat, Ayano threw her head back and sobbed, hoping that he would relent and give it to her. He didn't budge, and Kakashi walked over to the children.

"Norio, you have to play nice. Ayano's still little, remember?"

Norio glared at him. "No! Mine! Mine hat!"

Kakashi sighed. "Can you share nicely, just for a little while?" Norio shook his head, and Kakashi went over to Ayano, who was still crying. He picked her up, rubbing her back soothingly, and Norio lost it.

"No! Mine Dada! Mine!" He pulled at Kakashi's pants, and when his father continued to pay attention to the other baby, he plopped down on the floor and cried.

"Oh dear, you just had to throw a tantrum, didn't you?" Kakashi shifted Ayano to sit on one side of his lap, pulling his son up to sit on the other side. "Norio, no more tears, ok?" The toddler placed his head on Kakashi's shoulder and started calming down. Ayano noticed the other baby was next to her, and she smiled, placing her hand gently on his cheek. Norio gave her a skeptical glance, before hiding his face in Kakashi's shoulder.

Mikoto and Kushina walked in, and Mikoto absolutely gushed at the sight. "Isn't that precious?" The women took several pictures, with Kakashi looking nervous in all of them. Mikoto took the baby from Kakashi, fawning over her happily.

"Oh Ayano, I love you so much sweetheart." She cooed to the little one, finding that Ayano enjoyed the attention. The baby smiled and laughed, nuzzling into her mother, before turning to the ginger.

Ayano couldn't decide whether or not she wanted to stay with Mikoto, or go with Kushina, and she furrowed her eyebrows in thought. In the end, she placed her head on Mikoto's shoulder, inhaling the light perfume and smiling.

"You're just too cute!" Kushina said, tickling her daughter a little. Ayano squirmed, laughing hysterically, and Mikoto joined in with Kushina. The baby's laughter was loud, and everyone turned to smile at her. Finally, they stopped, and Ayano panted slightly, still giggling and out of breath. Mikoto and Kushina joined the other women at the table, getting filled in on the gossip of the village. Ayano no longer wanted to be held, and she arched her back to let Mikoto know this. The woman set her down, keeping a close eye on her as she staggered into the living room to be with her siblings.

Ayano looked at them, trying to decide who she wanted to sit with the most. It was a split between Sasuke and Ino, but fortunately for her, they were next to each other. She ran over, throwing herself into. Sasuke's shins and grinning up at him.

He sighed, lifting her and setting her down inbetween himself and Ino. Ayano stood, leaning against Sasuke and pushing her hands to his face. He sat her back down, and she glared at him. He raised an eyebrow, messing up her sparse hair and returning to the conversation. Ayano didn't enjoy being ignored, and she started making angry noises to let her siblings know this.

Naruto laughed, walking over to pick her up, and being met with an angry look and a shake of the head. "No!" He sighed, returning to his spit on the couch and watching as Ayano continued to pester Ino and Sasuke.

Ino sighed, lifting Ayano over her head and questioning the baby. "What do you want? Huh?" she asked playfully. Ayano thought for a moment, shaking her head after a few seconds. Ino laughed, setting the baby back down on the couch. Ayano slid herself off, curiously toddling over to Itachi and Shisui, rubbing her face into Itachi's knee.

He set her on his lap and bounced his knee slightly, listening to the other men and their talk of village politics. His father was throwing a borderline hissy fit over the actions of the Council, and he only half-listened as he watched Ayano sing and dance to her own music. He stroked her head tenderly which caused her to tilt her head back. she smiled widely at him, and he mimicked her actions.

She soon grew bored of Itachi as well, and went to look for someone else to give her attention. Sadly, no one met her criteria, and she decided that maybe today would be a fun day to climb the stairs.

Ayano took a step, barely getting her small foot onto the steep stair. She decided that crawling up would be best, but before she could get up any further, strong hands lifted her from behind.

Fugaku sighed at his daughter, shaking his head at how much of a handful she'd turned out to be. She pouted at him, and he locked the nearby baby gate into place and carried the baby back into the foyer. She fussed in his arms, and he ignored her whining and focused on the conversation. Finally, Ayano screamed in anger, and Fugaku gave her a stern look.

"I don't know where you get your temper from, but you need to calm down, little child." She furrowed her eyebrows at him, before placing her head on his shoulder and crying. He sighed, voicing his thoughts aloud. "What am I ever to do with you?" She didn't respond, crying for a few more minutes then calming down.

Minato smiled. "I think it's time she has her birthday cake," he said, taking Ayano over to her high chair. The cake was set in front of her, and she reached out to take a handful of it. Mikoto stopped her, pushing the cake a little ways away and kissing the baby on her forehead softly.

The lights were turned off, and the large, sparkly candle was lit. As they sang 'Happy Birthday' to her, Ayano looked at all of the people in the room, trying to figure out what was going on. The song ended, and where most people above three would normally blow out the candle themselves, Ayano's parents did that for her. She was served a small slice of cake, and shoved a handful of it into her mouth, smearing the brightly colored frosting all over her face in the process.

Her first year was one of the sweetest years that her family would spend with her, and as she would later look back on the photos, she wished her memory would go back that far.

* * *

I cried writing about Neji and his mom! And other times, I cracked myself up while writing this. Oh well, what can you do? Anyways, let me know what you think- anonymous reviews are on, so you don't have an excuse ;)

Next update will be about a month from now, maybe.


	3. Chapter 3

Hello everyone!

Sorry I haven't updated in so long! I had so much coursework to complete, and on top of that, I've been working twenty hour weekends! But here's a new chapter!

Just a note before you read this chapter, Ayano is a two year old. When she speaks, her grammar is often incorrect. Also, she can't pronounce certain names very well, so "Sa'ke" is actually supposed to be Sasuke, and "Na'to" is Naruto.

With that, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Ayano ran about the Uchiha household happily, giggling with glee. She had finally convinced Sasuke into playing hide and seek with her, and he had even volunteered to count first. She was now a two year old, and was pretty much the center of attention, no matter where she went in the village.

As she came upstairs, she peered around the corner to make sure her brother wasn't cheating. Sasuke was nowhere in sight, and she quietly snuck into the hallway. She peered around, looking from door to door and trying to find the perfect hiding place. Her room would be a bad idea, since he would obviously expect her to be in there. She shook her head, glancing to the guest bedroom. It was sparse and offered too few hiding places, and her parents had installed a bedfeame with drawers underneath, eliminating one of her favorite hiding places.

Sasuke's room was the next plausible option, and she thought about it for a moment. Ayano silently opened the door, peering around the room. The walls were a dark blue, and the furniture set was black oak. He had a large flat screen TV, with a video game console and Bluray player. On his desk was an organized set of scrolls and books, almost all of them pertaining to ninjutsu and the like. There was also a new laptop, one that she desperately wanted to play with, but feared the reaction of her big brother.

There was a large safe in the room,which hid Sasuke's weapons and other dangerous things. He had scrolls and documents that were confidential, all containing his mission information. Sasuke had recently become a part of ANBU, and there was speculation that he would soon be promoted to captain. Ayano didn't know very much about it, but Sasuke had warned her that she would be in a lot of trouble if she ever touched anything in that safe. He had even said that their father would spank her, and out of fear, she deviated from the safe.

His closet was neat and organized, with multiple vests, jeans, and mesh armor hanging neatly on the hangers. His shoes were put away on a rack, each and every pair meticulously polished and taken care of. Ayano didn't understand why shoes had to be so clean, and Sasuke had replied that it was a pint of pride for him. Indeed, he was notorious for always looking good, both in dress and in physicality, but Ayano never saw her brother as handsome or attractive. For her, he was just her brother- someone who loved and protected her.

Across the room, a large bed stood. The comforter and sheets were a simple gray and black striped pattern, nothing special. There were no teddy bears, no decorative pillows, and no signs of anything remotely feminine or childish. There were two pillows and a body pillow, neatly propped against the headboard. Ayano silently wondered what it felt like to be on Sasuke's bed, and whether it would be warm and cozy like Itachi's.

Making sure she wouldn't get caught, she hoisted herself up, crawling over to the pillows and resting against them. They were firm and uncomfortable for her, and she didn't understand how anyone fell asleep on something akin to a rock. Still, they smelled like Sasuke. He always smelled so nice, and for some reason, he reminded her of winter. His scent was similar to a pine forest and fresh snowfall, and whenever he allowed her to, Ayano would snuggle against his chest to be wrapped in the aroma of him. Despite his wintery scent, he was always warm and comfortable, and the few times he held her, she found herself falling asleep. His arms were so strong and protective, his broad shoulders comforting and safe, and the subtle rise and fall of his chest lulled her into drowsiness.

Laying her head on the pillow, she pulled the blankets over herself. They were cold, at first, but she soon felt herself being wrapped in warmth. It was late autumn, and the sky was often overcast with clouds. The gentle pitter-patter of falling rain outside made the bed and everything on it more inviting and cozy, and Ayano's eyes closed, her drowsiness taking over quickly.

Unbeknownst to Ayano, Sasuke was not counting, nor was he trying to find her. He had only agreed to playing hide and seek in the hopes that she would run off and let him be for a little while. It had worked; he was able to focus on his mission report as the complete silence took over. He knew it was wrong to take advantage of her like that, and he felt a little guilty, but he needed to get this done. At this point, she's probably forgotten about the game, he thought. Either that, or she'll be hiding in the hallway closet for the next half hour until I pull her out of there. He sighed as he filled out the last section of paperwork, and stood.

He checked the usual places that she would hide, finding all of them clear. He silently wondered if she had gone outside, and mentally groaned at the thought of a crying, cold, and wet two year old. He didn't feel he was all that great at being an older brother, with his temper and lack of patience. Sasuke knew he had to actively try to be better at the job fate had handed him, but he knew he wasn't as good as Naruto was at this. He pondered how Ayano adored him, with his standoffish attitude and lack of affection.

Even when she was small, barely a month old, she normally wanted to be around him. It never made sense- he didn't coddle her, he rarely played with her, hardly held her, and never did anything that would justify her preference towards him. Itachi, on the other hand, didn't hesitate in fawning over her, and neither did his mother. The two of them alone created enough spoilage to last the girl a lifetime, yet she still chose Sasuke over everyone else, most of the time. His father was often very strict with her, and she was clearly afraid of him as a result. Fugaku had been a very disciplinarian type of parent, and Sasuke was aware that the other clans were opposed to such extreme measures.

Sasuke was becoming annoyed at how well his sister had hidden, and he checked the obvious place that she would hide- her room. Opening the door, he glanced around, frowning at how messy it was. He would have her pick up at least a little after he found her. He checked under her bed, in her closet, behind her toy box, and everywhere else she could possibly hide. He growled under his breath, irritated at his lack of results. Maybe a five minute game of tag would have been a better choice, he grumbled in his mind.

He closed the door behind him, moving into the guest bedroom. He didn't find her there, nor did he find her in Itachi's room or his parents' room. The only room left that she would have access to was his, and he became frustrated at the thought. Opening the door, he glanced around. His bed was behind a corner, so he didn't immediately see the sleeping child. He took a few steps inside, calling her name out in the hopes that she would reveal her position to him.

"Ayano, where are you?" There was no response, and with a sigh, he admitted his defeat to her. "I give up, you win, just stop hiding." There was nothing, not even a hint of breathing that he detected, and he turned around, now facing his bed.

Ayano was curled into a ball, laying on her stomach and snuggled deeply into his blankets. Her lips were slightly parted, her eyelashes coming out to a curl at the end. He saw her shoulders rise and fall with her breath, watching the corner of her lips twitch as she slept. She winced, burrowing deeper into the mattress for warmth, and Sasuke tried to decide what to do with her. On one hand, he hated her being in his room, due to his irrational fear that she would mess it up. On the other hand, he didn't want to carry her to bed and possibly wake her up. He hated having to hold her or carry her, since she became so clingy, and he simply did not want to display much affection to her.

With a sigh, he sat down next to her, watching her sleep for a few moments and enjoying the silence it brought. He loved her, but was bad at expressing it. He felt nearly autistic in that way, and that was often the reason why he hardly ever interacted with her. Still, he felt he had no choice in the matter, with the powers that be forcing him into a nurturing role that he didn't know how to fulfill. He leaned back, laying next to her and wrapping his arm around her protectively. It felt odd, yet somewhat right at the same time. He reached over to his nightstand, pulling out a novel and reading it to pass the time.

As she slept, Ayano began to twitch and jerk, tossing and turning slightly while she whimpered. Sasuke hushed her quietly, rubbing her back in an attempt to calm her down. It wasn't working, and she woke with a jolt. Her eyes filled with tears, and she rolled over to see Sasuke lying next to her, he frowned. "Go back to sleep," he whispered, hoping she would be obedient for once.

Of course, she started to cry, pulling herself into his chest. "Sa'ke!" She cried into his shoulder, and he didn't bother to correct her on the pronunciation of his name. She shook in his arms, and he set the book down. He pulled her into his hold, hushing her and trying to calm her down. Ayano would easily become worked up, and crying only made it worse. As she began to hyperventilate, he rocked her slowly, rubbing her back and muttering things he hoped would comfort her.

"Why are you so upset?" he finally asked, stroking her hair in slow, soothing patterns.

Ayano cried harder, and Sasuke wished he could simply hand her over to either his parents or his brother. She finally managed to speak, although her breathing made her speech fragmented. "I h-had a night s-s-scare," she whined, and Sasuke frowned. Nightmares were a new thing with her, and they had steadily become more frequent and more dramatic.

"What happened?" He wasn't sure how to comfort her, or what he was supposed to do at this point, but it seemed reasonable to let her talk about it and later reassure her that it wasn't real.

She whimpered. "I-I was al-lone and th-then the wolves ate m-me!"

He sighed, rubbing her back. "It was just a dream, it can't hurt you."

Ayano shook her head. "Night scares hurt!"

Sasuke tried again. "You're fine. There aren't any wolves in the village, so it won't happen."

Ayano cried. "But it's scary! I'm not sleeping ever again!"

Sasuke sighed, pushing her back so that he could make eye contact. There were red steaks running down her cheeks, and snot, tears, and drool covered her face. Her eyelashes glistened with drops of tears, and her bottom lip trembled and stuck out. He had become extremely adept at reading faces and emotions, and the fear in her eyes was clear as daylight. He wiped away the tears rolling down her cheeks with his thumbs, wondering what on earth to do with her. Wordlessly, he picked her up and carried her into the kitchen as she placed her head on his shoulder.

He walked into the large kitchen, heading straight for the plate of cookies his mother had made the day before. He handed one to his sister, who hesitantly took a bite. The chocolate and peanut butter cookie was rich and moist, and she couldn't help but smile slightly. Her other mothers may be great at cooking and baking, but Mikoto Uchiha took the cake when it came to desserts. There was a certain something, a je ne sais quois, about the way she made pastries and the like that was extra special. Slowly, the little one calmed down, and Sasuke spoke to her in a low and calm voice.

"Do you want some tea or hot chocolate?"

Ayano swallowed the bite she had taken. "Hot chocolate, please." Sasuke nodded, and Ayano closed her eyes. She couldn't remember the last time it had been just her and her brother like this, and she smiled and snuggled into him.  
Sasuke heated up the milk before pouring into a mug with cocoa powder in it. He stirred the mixture, then carried it with him as he took Ayano into the living room. He sat down in an armchair, grabbing a throw blanket and wrapping it around his sister, watching as she finished the last bite of her cookie. She took a careful sip of the hot chocolate before turning to her brother.

"How come you like me now?" She asked, her voice taking on the typical tone of childish curiosity.

Sasuke sighed. "I always like you, you just get on my nerves sometimes. But that's not what I want to talk about. Why are you having so many nightmares?"

Ayano pouted, her eyebrows furrowing together. "I don't know! I... the night scares... I don't know!" She started to cry again, and Sasuke groaned in frustration as he rubbed her back.

"Did you see a scary movie?" She had an over active imagination, so it was highly plausible that she would believe a movie was real. She shook her head, and he tried again. "Did anyone tell you a scary story?" Again, a shake of the head. He sighed, glancing down at the small child. "So you haven't seen or heard anything scary?" Ayano shook her head yet again and snuggled into him.

He sat ther with his arms wrapped loosely around her, trying to figure out what to do. He didn't realize that for her, simply being held was enough to chase the bad dreams and feelings of fear away. Her worries now quelled, Ayanos eyelids fluttered, and she made herself more comfortable in Sasuke's lap. She started drifting off as Sasuke became lost in his thoughts, and it wasn't until she yawned that he looked back to her. Her exhaustion was obvious, and her attempt to fight it off was failing miserably. He smirked slightly, tucking the blankets tighter around her.

"Are you still tired, munchkin?"

Ayano whined. "Not a munch'in!" Sasuke chuckled slightly, pinching her cheek to annoy her.

"Yes you are." Ayano glared at him sleepily, and he decided that he would have a little fun with her.

"Making that face doesn't mean you're not a munchkin, you know." Ayano huffed and crossed her arms across her chest, rolling over and facing away from him. He teased her a little more. "Poor baby, you're so tired you can't help it, can you?"

"Not a baby!" Ayano protested, and Sasuke poked her sides, making her twitch and giggle. He smirked more, tickling her sides until she squealed with laughter.  
He held her in place as she tried to escape, taunting her all the while. "If you still laugh when you're tickled, you're a baby." He stopped for a moment, letting her catch her breath, and she sat up. With her hands on her hips, she pouted at him.

"Not fair!" Ayano tried pushing his hands away, squirming backwards and almost falling onto the floor. Sasuke caught her, and she dangled there for a moment. He smirked, grabbing her hands and pulling her to sit back up.  
She was still smiling from being tickled, and she brought her nose up to his. She nuzzled their noses together, and when she was done, Sasuke pressed a light kiss to her forehead.

"So now you know not to argue with big brother, don't you?" He stroked her sides, and she giggled while nodding in agreement. With a smile, he replied. "Good. So when I tell you you're a baby, what do you say?"

Ayano looked confused, pulling away and shrugging. Sasuke gave her the answer. "You say, 'Yes, big brother.' Got it?"

"Yes, big brother." Ayano mumbled. She placed her head on his chest, smiling as he absentmindedly played with her hair. For the rest of the afternoon they sat there, enjoying each other's company and the silence around them.

* * *

Shikamaru reclined on the couch, enjoying the semi silence that surrounded him. Ayano sat in front of the TV, staring at the cutesy show that was on. He smiled- the knack to effortless babysitting was to simply put the kid in front of the TV! He took a small nap for about half an hour, and afterwords finished up the mission reports he'd been working on. It took about three hours, and Ayano was still in the same place he'd left her.

She was close to Shikamaru, just as she was to her numerous other siblings, but he held onto the belief that she had a bond with him that she didn't share with any of the others. He had been the one to introduce her to the alphabet, and the one who was helping her learn how to write. Shikamaru also believed that, however biased it seemed, Ayano got her intelligence from the Nara clan. He had briefly compared her to a little one from the Hyuga clan, and though the other child was a few months older, it was apparent that Ayano was more intelligent.

Her wits impressed and awed many villagers. One could ask her to name a word that began with a specific letter, and she would respond accurately and promptly. She could do basic addition and subtraction, though numbers greater than five were still a bit confusing for her. She would toddle around and proudly state basic things, such as "A is for 'Apple'". She would raise her hand, holding up two fingers and proudly state "I'm this many."

Ayano loved to be read to, and would repeat sentences that she understood. She'd point out characters in her favorite books, squealing happily if she was right. Though her grammar was far from perfect, she had a wider vocabulary than any of the other two year olds he knew, and she flaunted that. It had only backfired on her once, when she called someone at preschool stupid.

He spared a quick glance at the clock, and decided it'd be a good time to try to feed her dinner. Picking up the remote, he turned off the TV and spoke to her.  
"Come eat dinner, squirt."

She turned to him, tears in her eyes. "My TV," she muttered pathetically.

He sighed. "Yeah, you can watch it after dinner."

She let out a loud sniffle. "My TV..."

Shikamaru walked over, picking her up...

And that's when all Hell let loose.

With a loud screech, she cried out, repeating her phrase all the while. "My TV! My TV! MY TV!"

Shikamaru groaned, placing her in the high chair. She kicked and fussed the whole time- making it extremely difficult to strap her in. Finally, he was able to do so, but not without being on the receiving end of a few well placed blows. Pulling out the attachable tray to the high chair, he tried to snap it into place, but Ayano shoved it away, screaming loudly in protest.

He sighed. "Fine, you can sit without the tray. You're still eating dinner though."

She glared at him. "My TV!"

"No, no TV until after you eat."

"My TV!"

He groaned. He attempted to place the spoonful of quinoa in her mouth, but she spit it out in his face. He sat there, giving her a firm glance. "I can sit here all night, Ayano. You're not leaving until you eat."

She arched her back and screeched, and he sat there calmly. When she calmed down, he attempted to feed her again. She started crying again, and he went over to the nearest outlet and plugged in his phone charger.

After he answered a few texts, he went back over to his sister, holding up the spoon to her lips. Again she refused, crying stubbornly. This continued for the next hour, until finally, Shikamaru gave up. "You win, you don't have to eat. But I'm not going to let you watch TV at all tonight."

She ran over to the TV, pressing a few side buttons before it came on. And as soon as the screen lit up, Shikamaru went over to her and picked her up, causing her to throw another tantrum. He turned the TV off, and unplugged it for good measure. Ayano had begun screaming, the pacifier falling out of her mouth. With a heavy sigh, Shikamaru carried her up to her bedroom.

Sitting in the rocking chair with her, he tried calming her down to no avail. It was frustrating, and he swore to himself that he would not let her watch TV ever again. He pat her back, trying to think of a way to get her to stop sobbing. He texted Ino, and all she said was that Ayano would stop after a little while. So he waited for the fit to end. And waited, and waited, and waited...

Until finally, for the sake of his mental health, he could no longer take it. He set her on the floor, crossing his arms. "I'm not going to hold you if you keep crying, so if you want me to carry you, stop crying."

She sniffled, and when he held his arms out to her, she stumbled into them. Her tears subsided, he gave a relieved sigh and lifted her from the ground. She was quiet for a few moments, before her whimpers manifested into full-out sobs, and keeping to his word, he put her back down.

She plopped down onto her rear, whining and holding her arms out to him, and he repeated himself. "No, I'm not holding you unless you stop crying." She sniffled, and her tears stopped. He smiled softly at her, picking her up and rubbing her back gently. He kissed her forehead. "Do you want to eat now?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

He walked over to the table. "Do you want your quinoa or something else?"

She pointed to the fridge after making a face at the quinoa. He pulled out a soup his Mom had made earlier that week that Ayano had liked, heating it up for her. She ate it happily for a few bites before looking up at him. "Hot," she whined.

He shrugged. "Then blow on it."

She nodded, blowing dramatically on her soup and eating it. Of course, Shikamaru knew it hadn't been hot at all, since he served it to her lukewarm at best. By this point, it had probably become cold. Still, he entertained her and encouraged her to blow on it herself. She finished, her face yellow from the soup. "More p'ease."

Shikamaru nodded and stood, serving her a little more and letting her finish it. He handed her a wet napkin. "Wipe your face."

She picked it up and placed it on her face, not actually wiping. Shikamaru laughed a little, cleaning her face off for her and receiving a pouty glance. She looked so similar to Ino when she pouted or cried, only serving to prove that she was indeed a Yamanaka child. However, when she glared, her resemblance to Sasuke and Itachi showed, and it had been dubbed her 'Uchiha glare.'

He wondered if anyone ever thought she looked like him. Her hair and eyes came from the Hyuga clan and the Uzumaki-Namikaze families, respectively. The dimples were clearly an Akimichi trait. The thin, well shaped eyebrows may be from the Aburame, and her bone structure was most likely from the Inuzuka. So what could she have inherited from the Nara? Her intelligence was one thing, but Shikamaru wondered about what she physically inherited from him. Maybe it was her nose, but it was so hard to tell since her features were so soft and they were still taking shape.

When Ayano had finished, she held her bowl out proudly to him. "All gone!"  
He smiled at her. "Good job. Let me put this in the sink and we'll go read books in your room."

She giggled as he carried her upstairs, picking out a book titled 'Just like Mommy.' He read it to her at least ten times, and she would occasionally stop him to identify the Mommy and Daddy characters in the story. Half an hour passed, before he heard the front door unlock and his parents came home.

Ayano squealed, rushing to run down the stairs before her brother caught her and carried her down. Yoshino smiled at her baby, picking her up excitedly. "Since you're not in bed, you must have tortured your brother!"

Shikaku smiled at Ayano, before looking over to Shikamaru. "Is that true son?"

He shrugged. "Not really. I didn't know she was so obsessed with the TV. I turned it off and she started screaming 'my TV!'"

Yoshino gave her son an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I should have told you she does that. My poor boy." She kissed his forehead, and Shikamaru laughed.

"Yeah, it wasn't that bad. Also, I'm sorry for forgetting that her bedtime was pushed back an hour."

Shikaku waved it off. "It's fine. Did the two of you eat?"

"She did, I didn't."

Yoshino gave him a concerned glance. "Why not?"

"I was too busy trying to feed her."

Yoshino shook her head, kissing Ayano's cheek. "Aren't you just the troublemaker tonight?" She turned to her husband and son. "I'm going to put her down for the night. Make sure you get something to eat." The last comment was pointedly directed to Shikamaru, who groaned.

"Alright, alright."

The two males stood next to each other for a moment, the silence wrapping around them, when Shikaku laughed softly.

"What's so funny, Dad?"

"My TV!"

"Oh, shut up!"

* * *

Ino sat next to her sister on the couch, pushing back her sweaty hair. Ayano had picked up the flu, and needless to say, was miserable. Her father had gone on a mission and her mother was out doing the grocery shopping, so Ino was left to care for her sick baby sister.

Said sister looked at her pitifully, whining in pain. Ino sighed, hugging her tightly.

"I hurt!"

Ino sighed. "I'm sorry, kiddo. You already took your medicine, and there's nothing for lunch. You'll just have to wait till Mom gets home."

"Hurts!"

With a sigh, Ino picked her up. She carried her into the small bedroom that had been set up, walking over to to the bed. The Yamanakas had spoiled Ayano; instead of giving her a toddler-sized bed, she had a twin mattress that was so soft, it was almost like sleeping on air. The sheets were from Ino's old bedroom, with the Eiffel Tower placed in the center of the blanket, surrounded by a circular ring of roses. Around that were simple black and white stripes. The sheets themselves were new, luxurious thermal cotton sheets that were a soft pink.

There were several stuffed animals strewn around the bedroom floor, along with a few dolls and costumes. Ayano had a large play chest in the corner, which when everything was neatly placed inside, still overflowed. A large dollhouse was on the wall opposite the bed, with none of the dolls actually placed inside. It seemed as if Ayano had decided her imaginary personas for the dolls had decided on an outing.

Sitting down on the bed and pulling back the blankets, Ino went to set Ayano down for a nap when her sister whined. With a frown, Ino glanced down. "What is it, amoureux?"

Ayano pouted. "No nap!"

Ino sighed. "But it'll make you feel better, I promise!"

The toddler cried, burying her face into Ino. "Noooo!"

Ino was weak against her sister's pleas, and she rubbed the girl's back in slow circles. "Alright, fine. But running around and playing isn't going to help you feel better."

Ayano mumbled something unintelligible, and Ino pretended to understand. "Why don't we go to my room?"

The toddler nodded, and Ino carried her into the larger suite. Ino's room was large, with off-white antique style furniture. Her queen sized bed was against the wall, and it was the first thing visible when entering. To the right of the door was an entertainment center with a large flat screen TV and a Bluray player, complete with an expansive collection of movies. On the opposite side of the door there was an armoir to provide supplemental space for storing Ino's many clothes.

The wall to the left of the room was a large desk, with files neatly sorted in colorful, tasteful binders and folders. The wall on the right had a bookshelf, filled with many classic works from around the world. Ino loved reading, and her favorite group of literature was eighteenth century French novels. She adored the French and immersed herself into the culture as completely as she could, making it a point to refer to objects and people by their French equivalents.

Rubbing her eye and yawning, Ayano pat Ino's shoulder to get her attention. "Can we play outside?"

Ino glanced at the light rain shower outdoors. Normally, she would let Ayano play in the large gardens, but the rain and the fever forced her hand slightly. She sighed, shaking her head. "Not today, it's gross outside."

The toddler began to form tears in her eyes, and Ino looked around her room for something to amuse her sister. She caught her nail polish collection and brought it out.

"Tell you what- since we can't go out, I'll pain your nails, alright?"

Ayano nodded happily and held her hand out in a snooty way. Ino laughed, adjusting the hand so that she could see the nails better. She showed Ayano the colors. "Pick a color."

After thinking long and hard about it, Ayano picked out a soft pink, and Ino shook the small tube. She applied the polish in thin, even coats, listening to Ayano's non stop babbles.

"Sissy?"

Ino looked up. "Yeah?"

Ayano grinned mischievously. "You like Sa'ke?"

Ino grew red. "Maybe, maybe not. Why do you want to know?"

Ayano smiled. "You get married! I throw you flowers!"

Ino laughed at the thought of her actually getting married to Sasuke, and she lost it at the mental image of Ayano being the flower girl. Her relationship with Sasuke might work out, if two critical things didn't hinder that. One being the fact that, as Ayano's older siblings,it would be borderline incest. Second being that both clans believed in arranged marriage.

She sighed. "That's sweet of you, Ayano, but I don't think that'll happen anytime soon."

Ayano tilted her head. "How come?"

Ino shook her head. She didn't want to see her sister's happy view of the world be shattered so brutally. "Sometimes, things just don't happen the way we want them to, and we just have to deal with it."

Ayano frowned, and Ino provided a distraction. "Do you want a stencil on your nails?"

This confused the toddler. "What's that?"

Ino chuckled. "It means that I'll make a shape of something on your nails."

"Ooooohhhhh. Yeah!"

Ino held out the array of nail stencils, and Ayano stared at them long and hard before eagerly pointing out the Eiffel Tower shaped one. Ino laughed, "I taught you well, didn't I?"

Ayano nodded, and Ino held out another selection of nail polishes. Of course, Ayano picked the glittery one, and the end product was actually descent looking. Ino smiled at her younger sister. She played with the soft, auburn brown strands before glancing down. "Do you want me to braid your hair?"  
The little girl smiled widely, bobbing her head in agreement. Ino grabbed a blunt brush and gently worked through the many tangles before making an intricate braided pattern. Of course, her little sister loved it, and Ino was happy to spend time with her. She sat next to her sister, when there was a small whimper of pain.

Ayano cried a little, and it stabbed at Ino's heart. She looked around her bedroom, finding that there was nothing she could do to ease her sister's pain, until she glance at her entertainment center, finding a shelf full of movies. She looked down to Ayano, rubbing her back. "Maybe we could watch a movie. Would you like that?"

Ayano nodded, and Ino pulled out some kid-friendly movies. Ayano stared at them for a while, before picking out Fantasia. Ino smiled, placing it in the DVD tray and pressing play. She skipped through all of the previews and whatnot, and leaned back onto her bed next to her sister. She saw that her sister looked exhausted, but that she was laying on top of the sheets and blankets. "Here, why don't we get under the covers? I think it's kind of cold."

The toddler gave her a sleepy nod whole yawning, and Ino tucked her in. She subconsciously wrapped her arm around Ayano and watched the movie. She had been happy that Ayano picked this one, since the images and the classical music were sure to put her sister to sleep. Sure enough, the kid didn't last ten minutes and was sound asleep. As Ino watched the movie, she realized that maybe it was putting her to sleep, too.

It was the scene of the Nutcracker suite, with the dancing flowers twirling around in intricate patterns. Some of the dance moves were in the correct place, and Ino smiled at the image of petunias doing the Cossack dance. After a few moments, she nodded off, pulling Ayano closer to her. The nap was nice, even though Ino woke up about twenty minutes later to the final scene with the centaurs fleeing from the forces of nature. When the movie was over, she took it out and turned her TV off, going back to her bed and reading.

Ino lost herself in the pages, admiring the way Dumais was able to write adventure. Ironically, most adventure novels bored her, and she often couldn't stand them. Not long after she had picked the book up, she could feel Ayano waking up, and she placed a bookmark in the book and set it on her nightstand. Hazel blue-grey eyes looked peeked out at her, and she smiled warmly. "Did you have a nice nap?"

Ayano nodded, snuggling into the blankets again. She smiled at Ino, motioning for her older sister to come closer. When Ino obliged her, Ayano grinned, whispering into her ear. "Je t'aime, efféminé."

Ino laughed softly, kissing her sister's forehead softly. "Je vous aussi, ma chérie aime."

Out of everything she would later remember about that afternoon, Ayano would recall one thing in particular: her older sister may be noses and mean at times, but she was wonderful at making sick afternoons worthwhile.

* * *

Hinata sat on the veranda of her home, watching the sun set. She sipped at her tea, savoring the serenity of the whole situation. Her home life had become more and more complicated over the last few months, and her parents had openly explained Ayano's situation to her. She had requested to go on fewer missions, and was not going to participate in the next Chunin exams so that she could learn more about the political structure of the clan and village.

On top of that, she had a meeting last week with her grandparents concerning potential suitors, and had met with three men whose sons wanted her hand in marriage. She had been utterly disappointed in them- with all of their boasting and bragging, they had very little to offer in terms of how personable they were, and they only seemed to want her as a trophy wife. Plus, she was still very much crushing on Naruto, and had no desire to move on.

She shook her head, ridding herself of those thoughts and thinking about how much closer her family had become. She and Hanabi in particular were now attached at the hip, going everywhere and doing everything together. It was sweet that her sister adored her so much, but that wasn't the only change that had come about.

She and Neji had become the best of friends over the past year, and he was often the first person she went to when she needed advice. He was the most supportive person in her life, and always seemed to know what to do. She sighed, thinking about how much better he would be as the clan heir, before reminding herself that she had no choice in the matter.

Taking a deep breath, she stared at the sunset again and admired the vibrancy of the scene. The falling leaves in the slightly chilly wind drifted across the sky in a lazy way, floating carelessly across the landscape. Birds chirped merrily, hopping from branch to branch and flying freely around. Blues and purples began staining the skyline, mingling with the oranges, pinks, yellows, and reds. She felt lost in the beauty of nature, and was admiring it in all its glory.

Or at least, she had been, until a certain little sister ran out wildly. Ayano was grinning from ear to ear, and she plopped herself into Hinata's lap. The little ball of energy never ceased to amaze her, with the bright, happy smile and the chirpy, cheerful voice. Ayano gave her so much love, tenderness, and affection without realizing it. She would almost always give Hinata tight hugs that made the ill will and sorrow that surrounded the village disappear.

The latter smiled. "Goodness, Ayano! What are you running around for?"

The small girl shrugged. "Fun!"

Hinata chuckled. "I was going to take a walk, did you want to come with me?"

Ayano smiled, nodding and holding onto her sister's hand. Hinata lead her back into the house, looking for their father. When they finally found him, Hinata spoke. "Father, is it alright if I take Ayano on a walk with me?"

Hiashi raised an eyebrow. "It's getting dark. You have to take Neji with you."

Hinata nodded, slightly upset that her father still wasn't confident in her abilities. Still, Neji was often quiet on walks, so they would hardly notice him. She knocked on his door, and a few moments later her opened it.

"Big brother, will you accompany us on a walk?"

He nodded, grabbing a pair of shoes on his way out. Before they left, they ran into Hanabi, who demanded to go along as well.

Stepping outside on the chilly evening, Hinata bent over and zipped Ayano's jacket a little more before they continued. She held the toddler's hand and Hanabi ran over and took her free hand. She smiled at the middle child, giving her hand a small squeeze.

Ayano let go of Hinata's hand and went over to Neji, standing in front of him with her arms raised. He sighed, lifting her up and letting her snuggle into him. She was more affectionate than any other child he had met, even Hanabi, and as a result had a tendency to be clingy. He didn't mind; it was nice to have someone adore him so much.

They stopped by the lake in the park, sitting on the grass for a little while and watching the mid autumn sunset. Hinata had Hanabi's head resting on her shoulder, and she wrapped an arm around her little sister gently. Hanabi smiled at her, snuggling deep into her sister's chest and enjoying the warmth. Likewise, Hinata leaned back to rest against Neji's chest and smiled as she felt his arm wrap around her protectively. Ayano sat him his lap, cuddling into him to stay warm. Though it was short lived, the time they spent together was peaceful and very much appreciated by all.

* * *

Minato stepped into his Hokage robes, buttoning the middle up carefully. He glanced over to see Kushina in her bright red dress, fixing her hair into a bun, carefully twisting and wrapping the braided strands. She caught his gaze and smiled, walking over and kissing his cheek.

"Quit staring at me, you creep."

He chuckled softly and kissed her. Tonight he was hosting a gala to honor a new trade treaty between the five great shinobi nations, and he was introducing the other leaders to Ayano for the first time. He was nervous, wondering how kindly she would take to them and how the council would view her presence. Kushina rubbed his shoulders. "Relax, it'll be fine. She'll act like the little princess she is and they'll love her."

He smiled. "I guess. Let's go check on this little princess of ours and make sure she isn't torturing Naruto."

They laughed as they headed downstairs, seeing Naruto holding Ayano and waiting by the door. She was babbling about a movie she had seen, and being the wonderful brother he was, Naruto listened intently.

Minato smiled. "Is everyone ready to go?"

Naruto smiled. "Yeah, I think so!"

His father chuckled. "And what about you, princess?"

Ayano nodded, sleepily leaning against Naruto. The latter smiled and held her tighter, rubbing her back gently. He was absolutely doting with his little sister, and always made sure that she was well taken care of. She would take naps in his room, convince him to watch thousands of movies that he had long outgrown, and even had tea parties with him. It was sweet, the way he devoted himself entirely to her, and the way she adored him so very much.

With a smile, Minato shut the door behind him and they made their way to the convocation center. It was already decorated lavishly, with the table completely set and the hors d'oeuvres were laid out on small tables throughout the hall. The Kazekage was to arrive shortly, according to the event coordinator, and so Minato led his family to the entrance to greet him.

The Fourth Kazekage walked in with a frown on his face, followed by his three children. Temari and Kankuro smiled politely at Minato and his family, while Gaara seemed to stand off to the side and give them a curt nod.

The Kazekage glanced at Ayano. "Lord Hokage, I was unaware you had a second child?"

Minato smiled. "Yes, we had her a few years ago, but she didn't quite have the patience to come to events such as this."

The Kazekage nodded. "So I see."

Kushina smiled, nudging Ayano gently. "Say hello to the Kazekage, sweetie."

Ayano looked at the man shyly, before shaking her head and hiding her face in Naruto's shoulder.

Minato rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry about that, I guess she's just a little nervous."

The Fourth Kazekage cracked a small smile. "It would seem that way, wouldn't it?" He reached out and gently touched Ayano's face, stroking her cheek. She looked up at him, no longer afraid, smiling widely and hiding her face to be chuckled and looked over to Minato. "Would you mind me holding her?"

Minato smiled and shook his head. "Of course not, go ahead."

Naruto hesitantly let the Kazekage hold his sister, surprised to see the way she giggled happily as she stayed perched in his arms. He shrugged, turning to Gaara and smiling. "How's it going, man?"

Gaara shrugged. "Not bad, and you?"

Naruto grinned. "It's been pretty awesome. I've been busy as a Chunin, plus I have my little sister now. What have you been up to?"

Gaara sighed. "It's been the same, only I've been promoted to Jonin." Naruto's jaw dropped, and with a small smile, Gaara continued. "My father wants me to become the Kazekage in a few years as well. You should start working towards your goal of becoming Hokage, lest I beat you in the race for titles."

Naruto raised his fist. "Just you wait, Gaara, I'll show you who's the best, believe it!"

Kankuro rolled his eyes, and Temari scoffed. "Get over it, you two," the latter groaned with a bemused expression.

She glanced over at her father, and saw him being more gentle than she had seen him be in... God, had she ever seen him behave that way?! The slight smile on his face was hard enough to believe and on top of that, he was absolutely doting on Ayano. She supposed that he had been too busy to be so loving towards her and her siblings during their childhood due to his position. Then again, the Hokage had always seemed to be just fine ever since she could remember. With a shake of her head, she brushed it off and turned to her baby brothers.

When Gaara had fought Naruto, something had changed. She had no idea what the blond said to him, or what really happened during their fight, but her brother had become so much kinder afterwords. He apologized for the way he'd treated her, and had even become slightly obedient to her commands. He respectfully referred to her as his big sister, and she loved it when he did.

Ayano was tired of being held by the Kazekage, and reached out towards Minato, who took her eagerly. She buried her face into his shoulder and yawned, the exhaustion from not taking her afternoon nap obvious. Minato chuckled and kissed her forehead softly, rubbing her back soothingly. Her eyelids drooped, and Kushina smiled at her gently.

A moment later, the Raikage stormed into the room, an angry expression on his face. He wasn't happy that the daimyo of his country had practically forced him into signing the deal, and with the Yellow Flash nonetheless! Still, for the sake of preserving his village's dignity, he was obligated to show up and behave somewhat civilly. He saw Minato holding a small girl, and with a scowl, he addressed the other man.

"Hokage, who is this child?"

Minato smiled slightly. "This is my youngest, Ayano." He turned to face her. "Sweetie, say hello to Lord Raikage." Ayano whined and shook her head, and Minato tried again. "You don't want to hurt his feelings, do you?" All he received in response was another whine, and he gave the Raikage an apologetic smile. "She's just tired, is all. Two year olds, you know?"

A glanced down at the girl. She was a very pretty child, with her round, rosy cheeks and long eyelashes. He hated to admit it, but the Yellow Flash had a beautiful and happy family. He scoffed and walked away as the Tsuchikage entered the room.

Minato smiled at the man. "Lord Tsuchikage, it's an honor to see you here."

Onoki glanced at Ayano. "Minato, I wasn't aware that you had another child."

The latter smiled sheepishly. "I've kept her at home due to her habit of throwing tantrums. I didn't want her to offend anyone."

Onoki scoffed. "A firm swat on the rear is all you need to correct that! Don't spare the rod and spoil the child- too many brats are running around nowadays."

Kushina spoke up. "She's not a brat, it's just that all children become a little more difficult when they're overtired."

Onoki nodded. "I am well aware of that, yes."

Mei Terumi sauntered in, and Kushina stiffened. She had never liked the way the other woman would flirt with her husband, and she purposely wound her arm around Minato's. Mizukage or not, she wasn't about to let anyone take her man!

"Lord Hokage, if I may say so, you look even more dashing holding a child than you normally do. Is that little one yours?"

Kushina smiled viciously. "Yes, she's our youngest. I'm so happy that we had another, aren't you, dear?"

Minato smiled, missing the implication. "Of course I am, you know that!"

Kushina directed her gaze back to the Mizukage, whose smile turned a little sour. "I'm happy for you. So just how old is this one?"

Minato stroked Ayano's hair. "She's a little over two years old."

Ayano sat up and turned around to see who her parents were talking to. She looked Mei over, then glanced at Kushina. Her mother was acting so weird, and it kind of scared her. Come to think of it, both her parents were behaving oddly around all of these people, and she didn't like one bit of it.

Patting Minato's chest, she motioned for him to let her down. He smiled, kissing her forehead as he set her on the floor, watching as she scampered off. Kushina couldn't help but smile warmly as Ayano ran over to Naruto, watching the way the two year old ran never ceased to make her smile.

Ayano scanned the crowd as much as she could. Being very small, even for a two year old, she could only see up to most people's knees, but in the distance, she found her brother. Running over to him as quickly as she could, she called out to him.

"Na'to! Na'to!"

Naruto heard his name called and he saw Ayano running over to him. Her dress was slightly long, and she had poor balance and coordination to begin with. The freshly waxed, slippery floors only made it worse, and she tripped. She face planted into the ground, and he rushed over. Everyone had seen it, and the room became quiet as the small whimpers started.

Ayano lie on the floor, and she let out a scream of pain. Naruto picked her up, shushing her as best as he could. "It's not that bad, Ayano, really!" She screamed in response, letting him know that it was indeed awful. He pressed her face into his shoulder to provide a buffer of silence, but she pushed away from him. Leaning back, she wailed loudly, and Kushina and Minato rushed over.

Kushina took Ayano, cooing to her in a soft tone before taking her into the women's bathroom. Setting Ayano on a dry area of the counter, she wet a paper towel with cold water, wiping the toddlers face down with it.

"Oh, Ayano, it's alright! No more crying, ok?"

Ayano shook her head and whimpered, and Kushina kissed her cheek softly. She picked the child up from the counter and walked over to the back door of the kitchen. She was handed a package of ice wrapped in a small towel, and she placed it over Ayano's nose. "There, is that better?" Ayano whimpered and cried quietly. Her cries were muffled slightly by her yawn, and Kushina rubbed her back. After a few minutes, Ayano was asleep, and Kushina headed back out into the main ballroom.

Minato saw his daughter sleeping on his wife's shoulder and smiled softly. Kushina returned the look, standing next to him as he and the other Kage discussed mundane events of international concern. The next few hours passed in the same manner, until Ayano jolted awake with a frightened look on her face. She glanced around with tear-filled eyes before she reached out to her father.

He sighed. "Did you have another bad dream?"

She nodded, and before the tears could spill over he distracted her. "No crying, ok? Give me a smile?"

She pouted stubbornly, shaking her head. With a smirk, Minato tickled her sides, and she began laughing loudly. He stopped after a few minutes, returning to the conversation he'd been having.

Mei smiled. "She's a beautiful child, Minato. I give you and Kushina my belated congratulations."

Minato smiled, nudging his daughter gently. "Ayano, say thank you to Lady Mizukage."

Ayano didn't seem to take notice of the fact that he had been talking to her, as everything had become white noise in her tired state. In fact, she hardly hearted anything over the sound of his heartbeat and the constant flow of his breathing. A draft from the air conditioning made her shiver, and she could feel him wrapping his coat around her. Burrowing deeper into his chest, she was warm again, and her sleepiness took over.

Taking note of this, the guests started to filter out, and every person commented n what a sweet and beautiful child Ayano was.

The Kazekage was the last to leave with his family. "Thank you, Lord Hokage. Might I just say that Ayano is one of the prettiest children I've seen?"

Minato smiled. "Thank you, Lord Kazekage. She's more than I could have ever asked for in a daughter."

"It would appear so. You've been blessed with a wonderful addition."

Minato glanced down at the daughter who had in essence been forced onto him- and indeed, she was a blessing in disguise. Though he had been very much against taking that measure initially, he couldn't be any happier now that she was here. Everything about her endeared her to him and his family, and it was very much the same with the other clans he knew. He returned his gaze to the Kazekage. "Yes, and we couldn't be anymore grateful for her."

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So that's it for this chapter! I love hearing your input, so please review! Also, cheesewars, if you hate my stories so much, do yourself a favor. Stop trolling and get a life ;)


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